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It had been known for a long time that the German truck manufacturer planned to make major cuts in staff. On Friday, however, it became clear that this would be even more massive than expected: the last talk was about the elimination of 6,000 jobs, now up to 9,500 of the 39,000 jobs will be eliminated across the group, and that the Steyr’s site is unstable. It is “available,” the company said in a message. With the radical measures, the intention is to try to improve the result of the VW subsidiary by around 1.8 billion euros.
MAN: Keep fighting for the plant in Steyr
The MAN Group is examining whether and how it can prematurely terminate the existing location and workplace safety agreements for Steyr that will apply until 2030. The plant is scheduled to close by the end of 2023.
Out for Steyr’s site
Employee representatives from Upper Austria were in Munich on Friday and were confirmed there that Steyr would be closed until the end of 2023, Erich Schwarz, head of the MAN Trucks & Bus workers works council in Steyr, told APA. “The mismanagement of the old board should not be discussed,” so the works council, the coronavirus, was at most on top. He is convinced that the same leadership cannot put MAN back on the road to success. “Relevant” to him is what Steyr’s management says. Therefore, you are now waiting for information from the executive floor at the location; the latter had recently referred to the Group’s headquarters for media inquiries.
Business meetings this week
He will probably hold a conference with the entire works council on Monday, Schwarz said, and it also needs to be clarified how and when employees are informed. Business meetings are likely to be held this week and information should be provided at the Austria and Germany locations at the same time if possible. The format of the events to make them compatible with the coronavirus is not yet clear.
More massive job cuts than expected
Originally, it was assumed that there would be a massive, but minor, job cut than advertised, which would not have put Steyr in doubt either. At first it was said that the savings would be made mainly in the indirect area, that is, administrative, and less in production, said Schwarz. That has apparently changed now. The employee representative does not believe that management is just announcing a worst-case variant so that it can, after negotiations, sell a major job cut, although the plant in Steyr will remain.
Unions want to fight for location
The unions PRO-GE and GPA-djp have already announced that they want to fight for the location with all possible means. It also asks the federal government to work for it. The oö. The state government has already offered the possibility of local political support measures, such as a foundation, to facilitate re-entry into the labor market with qualification measures. Steyr Mayor Gerald Hackl (SPÖ) still can’t believe the “bad news”. At Steyr, for example, € 60 million was recently invested in a new paint shop, Europe’s largest paint shop for plastic truck parts.
Truck production at Steyr since 1919
The development and production of commercial vehicles at Steyr has a tradition that dates back more than 100 years. The Steyr plant was completed in 1914, truck production started in 1919, and in 1999 Upper Austria took over the entire production of MAN light and medium series trucks. They are vehicles with two or three axles, also equipped with all-wheel drive, from 150 to 340 hp and a total weight between 7.5 and 26 tons. In addition, Steyr also builds special vehicles and components for the Group’s production network, such as driver’s cabs. Research and development is also carried out at this location. Recently there was also a small series of electronic trucks.
