As of: March 15, 2024, 7:44 p.m
By: Lars-Eric Nievelstein
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Press
Split
The IG BCE union had fought for a long time to retain 1,500 jobs.
Now Michelin rejected the measures.
And closes several locations.
Frankfurt am Main – Budget truck tires and rising production costs are driving the next company out of the Federal Republic.
After companies such as the electrical appliance manufacturer Miele and the solar company Meyer Burger had already relocated at least parts of their production, the tire giant Michelin is now following suit.
The decision means the end of more than 1,500 jobs.
Michelin announces factory closure – 1,500 employees affected
It began in autumn 2023. At the end of November, the French tire manufacturer Michelin announced that it wanted to gradually close the production sites in Karlsruhe and Trier as well as new tire and semi-finished product production in Homburg by 2025.
The measure meant the loss of their jobs for around 1,400 employees.
The rear of a sports car in close view (symbolic image).
The IG BCE union had fought for a long time to retain 1,500 jobs.
Now Michelin rejected this.
© IMAGO / PanoramiC
Michelin also announced that it would withdraw the customer contact center for the DACH region from Karlsruhe by the end of 2025.
Instead, it will be rebuilt in Poland.
This affected another 122 employees.
However, Michelin left the retreading of truck tires in Homburg (Michelin's largest European production site) and the car tire factory in Bad Kreuznach untouched - the group continues production here.
Union tries to rescue – and offers suggestions
In response to this report, the IG BCE union tried to save the affected plants.
A concept paper contained suggestions for the creation of competence centers, more specialized production, the consolidation of plants and the reduction of the number of employees.
Michelin has now announced that it has rejected all of these proposals.
“The company rejected compelling and economically sound ideas.
Michelin is making the employees in its German locations the victims of a purely strategic decision.
Personally, I am very disappointed,” said Matthias Hille, corporate manager for the IGBCE union.
The employees at the Karlsruhe, Homburg and Trier locations have already received information that Michelin is sticking to its plans.
The IG BCE suggestions cannot be implemented.
“They are not economically viable or contradict Michelin’s sustainable business strategy,” the
dpa
news agency quoted the company as saying.
However, some aspects should be taken into account “for negotiations with the social partners”.
This includes employment opportunities within the Michelin Group and approaches to redesigning the locations.
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Rejection from Michelin causes frustration
“Disappointment” and “frustration” are now spreading among employees, reported IG BCE.
It is incomprehensible why Michelin simply wants to throw away “knowledge, years of experience, reliability and flexibility”.
“The company has no courage to overcome the dry spell on the truck tire market together with its colleagues.
It is becoming increasingly clear that it is now just a matter of: Where can a tire be manufactured cheapest in Europe so that even more money can be made?" criticizes Matthias Hille, IG BCE group manager for the company.
Negotiations to balance interests and a social plan are already underway.
“We will do everything we can to ensure that Michelin lives up to its often-vaunted social responsibility.
Anyone who does not want to continue to run the locations with good concepts must now put the necessary funds on the table for reasonable future prospects for the affected employees,” demanded Hille.
With material from dpa