MÜNCHEN (dpa-AFX) - Nearly two months after bus and truck manufacturer MAN announced plans to cut 2,300 jobs in Germany, an agreement has been reached with employee representatives. Among other commitments, the Volkswagen-owned company has pledged to invest nearly one billion euros in its German sites by the end of 2030. In addition, job security has been agreed upon until the end of 2035, with the possibility of extending this protection until 2040 depending on the company's development. Compulsory redundancies have been ruled out.
In November, MAN announced its intention to cut 2,300 jobs over ten years. At that time, the company had already offered job security and the preservation of production sites in Germany, and stated its intention to avoid compulsory redundancies. The job cuts will affect the main site in München, with 1,300 jobs eliminated, Salzgitter with 600, and Nürnberg with 400. IG Metall had sharply criticized the plans at the time and had anticipated even higher numbers. Now, the union also cites the figure of 2,300 jobs.
Talks "repeatedly on the brink of collapse"
"After at times very contentious discussions, which repeatedly stood on the brink of collapse, we were able to negotiate reliable job security for ten years with the company," said Sibylle Wankel, the lead negotiator for the employee side from IG Metall. She added that all collectively agreed benefits would remain in place.
MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp described the outcome as a balanced program that secures MAN's competitiveness. The company aims to reduce costs by 900 million euros by 2028 through these measures. However, the plan also includes major investments in the next vehicle generation being made in Eastern Europe. IG Metall views this critically, fearing a further shift of operations to that region./ruc/DP/jha
