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The new communication guide, which was leaked to the media, was aimed at all shareholders, members of the advisory board and board of directors, members of the management and advisers of the group. In the sense of these guidelines, all communication measures had to be coordinated “verifiably” with a member of the so-called “Compensation Committee” before publication, she said. The latter is made up of three people, including CEO Robert Buchbauer. The guideline applies until the implementation of the structural reform “probably before December 31” and relates, among other things, to information on the planned structural reform and current or past business activities.
All of this pissed off eight members of the family. In a letter to co-shareholders made available to the APA, they criticized the strange, “completely unfounded communication guidelines.” “This fits perfectly with the previous procedure:” An attempt to intimidate and deceive without any legal basis. Shareholders’ rights must be impermissibly restricted.
“Brutal style”
In addition, the management did not take note of the rejection of the structural reform at the shareholders’ meeting in early September in the opinion of the relatives. “We definitely want unity and unity between the shareholders and the family. Those responsible at this time have to come to their senses, accept reality and be quickly ready to give in and abandon the illegal and brutal style, “said the relatives of the top management and once again feared the threat of Wattens as the main location and relocation in Switzerland. – “if existing shareholders are deprived of their rights”.
Group management: “The reform train continues”
In a statement to the APA, the company’s management defended the communication guidelines. It is necessary that “all employees and shareholders involved act in the interests of the company and communicate in a closely coordinated manner.” Regarding structural reform, it was said: “Wattens will remain the headquarters and the heart and soul of Swarovski and the company will reform itself into an integrated and manageable group. The reform train continues. The reform process received more than 80 percent of shareholder approval. More persuasion is needed ”. We are also on the “right track” internally.
In addition, the top management referred to the “social compatibility and mindfulness” with which they want to capture the “transformation process” that will begin next week at the Wattens location. Starting Monday there will be preliminary briefings with employees in groups. This would not mean a termination of the employment relationship, it was emphasized. As of October 20, those affected by the reduction would be invited by their manager to a personal interview and then the “formal and personal separation interviews in the human resources department” would begin.
“Process termination conversations step by step”
Individual discussions will take place “step by step” before the end of the year and the notification period should only start at the end of the year. Events on the social plan, the labor foundation and unemployment benefit are also planned, as well as a job fair for those affected on October 14 and 15 at the Wattens factory. In addition, the management indicated a fund for family difficulties, if the former employees had financial difficulties after the benefits of the social plan.
Tasforce as a safety net for affected employees
In August, a working group made up of the state of Tyrol, Swarovski and the social partners decided, among other things, that the state would expand the work base to 500 places and an extended social plan until the end of 2021. The social plan was endowed with 60 million euros. The company will also spend another 25 million euros, it had been said.
