Rosenthal in crisis: Is the end of a traditional brand imminent?

Rosenthal in crisis: Is the end of a traditional brand imminent?

The automotive industry in Germany is under pressure: Audi has announced the closure of its factory in Brussels, affecting 3,000 employees. After months of negotiations with unions and works councils, it was decided to stop production at the end of February. Audi is now planning to offer the affected employees a voluntary company bonus in addition to the statutory notice pay after the social plan failed. According to production director Gerd Walker, the company is investing more than twice the legally required amount in severance payments and plans to blame the closure of the plant on falling demand for the Q8 e-tron electric SUV, which has caused high logistics costs as few suppliers are located nearby. This is another blow to the Volkswagen Group, which is already struggling with financial difficulties spiegel.de reported.

The Airbus subsidiary and suppliers are also affected: While the German aviation industry is struggling with job cuts, the automotive supplier is reporting bankruptcy. But it's not just Audi that is under pressure. The chemical company Evonik plans to cut 7,000 of its 32,000 employees worldwide in order to concentrate on two large segments. The Marl and Wesseling locations are particularly affected, where a total of 3,600 jobs could be lost. Mercedes-Benz is aiming to cut over 16,600 jobs worldwide in order to save 5 billion euros over the next few years, as “Manager-Magazin” reports. However, Mercedes denied official information about specific reduction targets, which increased uncertainty among employees in the industry focus.de.

The crisis in the automotive and supplier industry not only brings massive layoffs, but also shows the challenges that traditional companies face in a rapidly changing market situation. Industry observers expect the trend of job cuts to continue to intensify to keep up with economic realities.