MAN works council boss is looking for a way out of impasse with VW - criticism of the CEO: "Still in the trial period"

MAN works council chairman Saki Stimoniaris and VW board member Gunnar Kilian are looking for ways to get the faltering talks about the future of the truck manufacturer going again.

• The

  MAN

  works council has

  the talks about the future position of the truck manufacturer put on hold.

• Works council

  chairman Saki Stimoniaris mainly

  urges the exclusion of operational dismissals.

• Now the employee representatives are looking for a way out of the crisis - and talk to

  Volkswagen.

• Our free

   economic newsletter

   regularly provides you with all relevant news from the economy.

  Click here for registration.

Munich - In the struggle for the future of the ailing truck manufacturer

, the works council does not want to be put under time pressure.

"In the interests of our colleagues, we want a solution before Christmas, but not at any price," said the chairman of the

general works council,

, to Merkur.de * on Wednesday.

If the negotiations in the current year no longer lead to the goal, “let's talk more in 2021”.

A resumption of the deadlocked negotiations * will, however, be

dependent on

appropriate preliminary talks with the shareholders of the

parent company

* and the truck holding

.

In addition to Traton boss

,

personnel director

part in

the explorations

.

The former journalist is

also responsible for the commercial vehicle business on

the

board.

MAN: Works Council Chairman rejects conversion plans - "Schmarrn"

Stimoniaris

again vehemently

rejected the

plans submitted

by

boss

.

"This is not a basis for discussion, but a junk".

If the ideas were implemented, the company could be liquidated.

“We won't take this without a fight,” said Stimoniaris. 

According to the plans published at the end of September, the Munich-based truck manufacturer wants to cut

9,500 jobs

in

and

, the

(Rhineland-Palatinate),

(Saxony) and

locations are

threatened.

converts trucks according to customer requirements in Wittlich, buses in Plauen.

The light and medium series (

,

)

line at the Steyr plant

.

Thanks @itsmydrive https://t.co/JEy3CTaEkS

- MAN Truck & Bus (@MAN_Group) November 23, 2020

According to Stimoniaris, half of the jobs in Germany and Austria would be cut in order to rebuild them abroad.

This is a "clear cut on the backs of the employees in Germany and Austria" that will not be tolerated.

The top employee representative of the group urged the company to give in.

“We want an honest and fair chance for the employees”.

In the past few years,

has managed to purchase the VW commercial vehicle subsidiary

do Brasil and, together with the

group, to take over Scania

for a total of three billion euros

.

However, the corresponding funds for investments in research and development and other areas of

.

This must be credited to the employees.

That is "a question of fairness and respect for the performance of the

employees," said the

chairman on Wednesday at the group headquarters in the north of Munich.

MAN: Works council boss signals willingness to reach an agreement

With a view to the

talks,

again

signaled willingness to

to an agreement.

The employees are ready to do their part.

The prerequisite, however, is that the group refrains from redundancies for operational reasons.

"We are not supplicants."

He also called for the sites threatened with closure to be retained.

Wittlich and Plauen are "highly profitable commercial vehicle manufacturers," said Stimoniaris.

There will be sufficient demand for the light and medium series from Steyr for at least ten years.

In view of the company's plans for a possible downsizing, Stimoniaris also called for a partial retirement scheme, generous severance payments and the establishment of a qualification company "both on the basis of double voluntarism".

Both the company and the employees would have to agree to corresponding solutions.

MAN: Harsh criticism of CEO Tostmann

Stimoniaris indirectly accused the

, who

has been in office since July, of

lacking knowledge of the commercial vehicle market.

Tostmann was still "in the trial period and training phase," said the unionist.