Audi Brussels plant moves closer to return to work after standstill
Staff at the Audi Brussels car plant in Forest could return to work as normal next week, a company spokesperson told Belga on Tuesday.
The plant’s assembly lines have been at a standstill for several weeks, following the announcement of collective redundancies and insufficient demand for the Q8 e-tron, an electric SUV assembled at Forest.
A restart was initially scheduled for this week, but unions have indicated that the plant will remain closed for at least another week. The exact date for the resumption of production will be discussed with the social partners at an extraordinary works council meeting on Thursday.
At the beginning of July, Audi’s management announced its intention to restructure its Brussels plant. Production of the Q8 e-tron began there in 2022 and was due to continue until 2027, but is at risk of being stopped prematurely.
High labour costs
The German carmaker is facing overcapacity and the Brussels plant is paying the price of higher production costs than the company’s other sites. Experts blame labour costs in Belgium and the location of the plant, which is surrounded on one side by railway lines and on the other by a residential area.
The group says no final decision has yet been taken and it is looking for an alternative for the site, which employs some 3,000 people. Several options are on the table, including the arrival of a new model, the production of spare parts for other plants or outside investment.
However, the company is not ruling out closure. If this happens, some 1,500 jobs could be lost in October, and 1,000 more next year. The last redundancies could come at the end of 2025.
"The message we want to get across today is to continue the fight for all jobs"
Unions addressed workers at a general meeting on Tuesday morning for the first time since the restructuring was announced.
“The message we want to get across today is to continue the fight for all jobs,” said Sor Hillal, general secretary of the FGTB Métal union.
“We don’t have all the information. For the moment, we’ve only had declarations of intent, and we’re not going to be content with that. We’ll be putting forward union proposals, and the workers will decide what to do next.”
An extraordinary works council will be held on Thursday and management will address staff on Friday. A meeting is also scheduled on Friday between unions and the Brussels minister for Employment.
To draw attention to the situation at Audi and in the wider car industry, unions are planning a demonstration in Brussels on 16 September.
Workers gather for a general staff meeting at Audi Brussels, 20 August 2024 © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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