The management of German carmaker Audi and the unions have failed to agree on a joint social plan for the employees now the company's Brussels plant is closing. The unions rejected the management's proposal last night. The management now plans to put what it calls a ‘very fair offer’ directly to employees.
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Audi management bypasses unions after social plan offer is rejected
Colin Clapson
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Last month, negotiations on a social plan for the nearly 3,000 employees at Audi Brussels started after no buyer came forward to purchase the factory. Management have now failed to reach an agreement with the unions and plan to put it directly to the workforce.
In addition to legally guaranteed severance pay, Audi is offering employees a company bonus, which will be calculated on the basis of the employee's seniority. ‘The budget (provided for severance pay and company bonuses) is more than double the statutory severance pay,’ Audi spokesman Peter D'hoore says.
‘We are confident that employees will recognise the quality of our offer and accept it,’ the company says.
Gerd Walker, the global number one at Audi responsible for production, regrets that the unions have rejected what he called the ‘latest, further improved proposal’, the 6th proposal so far.
‘We are keeping our word and will voluntarily offer each employee an individual and fair severance pay on top of statutory severance pay. In this way, we want to support employees, who have done so much for Audi, on their way to a new professional future.’