Audi Brussels management and unions fail to agree on social plan
Negotiations between Audi Brussels management and union representatives have ended in deadlock, with no agreement reached on a joint social plan for employees.
During discussions held overnight on Wednesday, unions rejected the sixth proposal from management of the plant in Forest. As a result, management has decided to bypass union negotiations and present what it calls a "very fair offer" directly to employees, Belga learned from the plant's spokesperson.
The offer includes not only statutory severance pay but also a company bonus determined by employee seniority.
"We are convinced that the employees will recognise the quality of our offer and will accept it"
"The budget [for the severance pay and company bonuses] is more than twice as high as the statutory severance pay," Peter D’hoore said. "We are convinced that the employees will recognise the quality of our offer and will accept it."
Gerd Walker, Audi’s global head of production, expressed disappointment over the unions’ rejection of the "last, further improved proposal".
He reaffirmed the company's commitment to supporting employees through a severance package. "We keep our word and will voluntarily offer each employee an individual and fair severance payment on top of the statutory severance payment," he said. "We want to support the employees who have done so much for [the company] on their path to a new professional future."
Long negotiation process
Negotiations on a social plan began on 1 October, with management initially presenting a plan that included a closure bonus. However, unions deemed the proposal "far below expectations", leading to a brief, spontaneous work stoppage at the factory. Subsequent counter-proposals from unions were rejected by management.
In November, Audi management introduced a revised proposal, which was met with cautious optimism. "The new proposal is worth debating," said Jan Baetens of the ACV Metea union. The plan included closure bonuses and early retirement options for the factory's approximately 3,000 employees, as production is scheduled to cease at the end of February.
Nevertheless, tensions escalated after management rejected the unions' latest counter-proposal. Staff anger boiled over, leading to a blockade of the meeting room and requiring management to be escorted out of the factory by police. The incident further strained relations, with management condemning the "employee protest that led to violence" and unions describing the situation as a "deep breach of trust".
Staff at the Audi car plant in Brussels, 13 November 2024 © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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