FRANKFURT, Germany: Michelin has turned down proposals from employees that suggested alternatives to its restructuring plans in Germany, which entail the elimination of more than 1,500 jobs.
In November of last year, the company revealed its intention to close its production sites in Karlsruhe and Trier and new truck tire and semi-finished product operation in Homburg. These restructuring actions, announced on November 28, 2023, are expected to affect 1,410 employees at the sites, which are scheduled to halt industrial activities by the conclusion of 2025.
Michelin also plans to relocate its customer contact center for Germany, Austria and Switzerland from Karlsruhe to Poland by the end of 2025, affecting another 122 jobs.
In February, the German trade union IGBCE and local works councils put forward alternative proposals for the Michelin plants scheduled for closure by the end of 2025.
Over 100 pages long, the paper “contained proposals for the creation of competence centers, more specialized production, the merging of plants and even reducing the number of employees,” IGBC said.
Matthias Hille, corporate manager for the IGBCE union on 15 March, said in a statement: “Michelin’s management rejected all of these compelling and economically sound ideas, and is making the employees in its German locations the victims of a purely strategic decision, Many still cannot understand why knowledge, years of experience, top quality, reliability and flexibility are simply thrown away through this clear-cutting.”
According to IGBCE, negotiations on the “reconciliation of interests and social plans” began on March 14 and are expected to last several weeks.
“We will do everything we can to ensure that Michelin … puts the necessary funds on the table to ensure reasonable future prospects for the employees affected,” Matthias Hille said.
