Bosch in crisis: Will locations in Germany be closed?

Bosch in crisis: Will locations in Germany be closed?

In a worrying move, the technology group Bosch in Germany could close its locations in Schwäbisch Gmünd and Hildesheim. The closure of these plants, which according to Bosch labor director Stefan Grosch is seen as a “last resort” – could affect up to 3,800 jobs in Germany, including 1,300 in Schwäbisch Gmünd alone. This announcement follows previous job cuts that were scheduled to take place across several of the company's business lines, such as merkur.de reported.

The situation is coming to a head as the automotive market has stagnated and Bosch is forced to take drastic measures due to overcapacity and increasing competitive pressure. According to Bosch, the change to electromobility will make personnel adjustments even more difficult, as significantly fewer employees will be needed for modern drives. One employee is required for the electric motor, while ten are required for diesel drives. This means that jobs at the site are at serious risk, especially in Schwäbisch Gmünd, where the production of steering systems is located schwaebische-post.de.

The employee representatives of IG Metall and the works councils have already announced resistance and are warning of the immediate consequences of these drastic cuts. The existence of many families is at risk due to the threatened closures, says Claudio Bellomo, the chairman of the works council in Schwäbisch Gmünd. It is expected that strikes could occur if the closures actually occur. The employees, together with the unions, are calling for a return to a future concept that secures jobs even in the transformation to new technologies. “Our goal is to continue operating the location from 2030,” confirms Götz Nigge, board member of the Vehicle Motion business unit.