As was the case on Monday the Audi Brussels car factory in the Brussels municipality of Vorst remained closed on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning disgruntled workers gathered once again at the factory gates. They are demanding clarity from management concerning the future of Audi Brussels. Meanwhile, the unions and management accuse each other of fueling an escalation of the dispute.
The socialist blue-collar union ABVV says that around 150 Audi Brussels staff are outside the factory. Management has decided that the plant should remain closed. Those wishing to report for work are unable to do so.
The ABVV union rep Franky De Schrijver told VRT News that "People are angry because the factory gates have remained closed without any form of consultation having taken place. I expect the same scenario as yesterday. The workers will came and see what the score is, talk with their colleagues and then go back home”.
Much distrust between unions and management
The dispute at Audi has entered its second week. On Tuesday 3 September, the Volkswagen group announced that no new model will be assigned to its Brussels plant. This is being seen as a probable prelude to closure. Last week workers at the plant decided not to return to work and demanded clarity about the future of the plant. They also confiscated the keys to 200 cars that were inside the factory.
Management then decided to temporarily close the factory until all its staff feel that they want to return to work and the keys to the cars have been returned. The unions and several workers that want to work are taking legal action against what they describe as a “lockout”. The company denies there is any lockout.
Audi Brussels’ spokesman said in a statement that “There is no desire to resume production, so the factory is remaining closed for safety reasons”.
Management and the unions accuse each other of fueling an escalation of the conflict by not being open to dialogue. Distrust on both side is high and neither party wishes to make any concessions.
Trade union rep Freddy De Schrijver told VRT that “All we want is to restart the talks with management”. He added that there is indeed willingness to hand back the keys, if the management will talk to them and the keys are handed over in the presence of a bailiff. However, the unions do not wish to comply with the management's demand to simply hand over the keys to the plant's security staff.
Time for mediation?
On Monday the Federal Employment Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne (Francophone socialist) called for constructive dialogue between the two sides. “Right now, the main thing is to give dialogue every chance”.
Meanwhile, the former Employment Minister Nathalie Muylle (Flemish Christian democrat) says that Mr Dermagne should have already appointed a mediator last week.
A social mediator is available for each sector of industry. They can act when all other normal channels have failed. A mediator can be appointed at the request of the parties involved in a dispute, on their own initiative or at the behest of the Employment Minister. Last year a social mediator was appointed during the long-running dispute at the supermarket chain Delhaize.