MUNICH (dpa-AFX) – Truck and bus manufacturer MAN plans to cut around 2,300 jobs in Germany over the next decade. According to a company spokesperson, the reductions will be carried out "in a completely socially responsible manner." Layoffs are not planned. The main sites affected are Munich, with 1,300 jobs, Salzgitter with 600, and Nuremberg with 400 positions.
MAN explained the move by stating it must "adapt to the persistently weak truck market in Germany and further improve its cost structure." High electricity and labor costs, along with increasing pressure from Asian competitors, are straining profitability. "We are now entering a high-investment phase and need to generate sustained profits to expand our product portfolio," the spokesperson said. For commercial vehicle manufacturers in Europe, the transformation to electric trucks is only just beginning.
Production Sites to Be Retained
According to MAN, the number of jobs being cut is actually lower than the number of employees retiring. The company will therefore continue to hire and remain a domestic commercial vehicle manufacturer, with around 13,000 employees in the future, a spokesperson said. "All our production sites in Munich, Nuremberg, Salzgitter, and Wittlich will be maintained." MAN plans to invest one billion euros in these locations over the next five years.
IG Metall Expresses Concern Over Site Future
IG Metall and the works council have strongly criticized MAN's plans, claiming they include moving production to Poland. Sybille Wankel of IG Metall warned that such moves "threaten the long-term existence of the Munich main plant." She fears that the core elements of truck production are shifting to Poland: "If, in the future, all parts for a truck are manufactured in Poland and only transported to Munich for assembly, it is obvious that, at some point, assembly in Munich will also be at risk."
Karina Schnur, chair of the central works council, also accused MAN of lacking genuine willingness to negotiate alternatives. "I am appalled by the company's behavior. Management was never seriously prepared to discuss alternatives to the relocation plans. This is a slap in the face to the people here in Munich who give their all for MAN every day," she said.
