Union and works councils are mad at the SPD, which they believe endangers jobs in the auto industry. Because it prevented a purchase premium for modern combustion engines. The party leader wedged back.
Stuttgart (dpa) - After the no to a general car purchase premium, Daimler General Works Council boss Michael Brecht goes tough with the SPD leadership.
Brecht told the German press agency that he and his colleagues from the automotive and supplier industry were "pissed off": "The SPD leadership didn't understand it."
"A wave of rationalization is rolling towards the German auto industry, which is massively affecting jobs," said Brecht. The industry had invested in growth, and there was now a risk of overcapacity that could not be bridged for three or four years. He does not understand why the SPD leadership of all people did not understand this and vehemently blocked the purchase package for low-polluting petrol and diesel vehicles in the economic stimulus package. The party leadership had not sought dialogue with the works councils.
SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans defends himself against allegations by IG Metall and works councils. The auto companies demanded that "the taxpayer should act as a guarantor for bonuses for bosses and dividends for shareholders," said Walter-Borjans of the "Augsburger Allgemeine". It could not be "that an industry dictates to the state in which way the funding has to take place". The corporations wanted to use employee worries for their own purposes.
When asked whether the SPD had lost its heart for the workers, Walter-Borjans said: "On the contrary. We want the auto industry to focus even more on job security in the future. The companies have neglected a lot, such as what Development of climate-friendly electric cars concerns. "
The large German manufacturers and the three "car countries" Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Lower Saxony had spoken out in favor of subsidizing the purchase of cars with purely internal combustion engines in order to boost the economy. The SPD in particular was strictly against it, but there were also critical voices from the Union.
IG Metall boss Jörg Hofmann then criticized the SPD. "There is disappointment here that it was not industrial responsibility, but demoscopy that determined the actions of the SPD leadership," he said. This leads to a massive loss of trust among employees in the automotive industry and related sectors in relation to social democracy.
MAN Group Works Council Chairman Saki Stimoniaris replied on Friday: "The party leadership of the SPD should question itself. Does it really represent the interests of the employees?" Said the Works Council Chairman of the truck manufacturer belonging to the VW Group. Such an attitude endangers millions of jobs. "We are afraid for our jobs and our future," said Stimoniaris.
95 percent of the employees in the German auto industry worked on vehicles with conventional drives, said Daimler works council Brecht. There is only limited capacity for electric cars, and sales so far have not been particularly high. "Everything was ignored," said Brecht. "If you think you can continue to finance short-time work, that's also a variant," he criticized. "But we don't want short-time work."
The slump in demand for petrol and diesel cars is now to be boosted with the lower VAT. The economic stimulus package also decided on higher premiums for electric cars.
