STUTTGART (dpa-AFX) - Mercedes-Benz is putting its company-owned car dealerships in Germany to the test. Following positive experiences in various European markets, the company announced on Friday in response to an inquiry that it is now also examining how the Group's own branches can be set up more independently in Germany. A sale to experienced and renowned dealer groups has not been ruled out. Several media had previously reported.

The Mercedes-Benz Group's own branches currently employ around 8,000 people in around 80 companies. According to a spokesperson, one company may include several dealerships.

Mercedes: Locations are not to be closed

According to the car manufacturer, the review of its own sales structures will be open-ended, step-by-step and for each branch individually. Only those who can prove that they meet all the requirements for the best possible operation of a dealership will be considered as investors. In addition to proven expertise in the field, a long-term entrepreneurial concept as well as a sustainable willingness to invest and openness towards employee representatives are also important. Furthermore, the locations are "not to be handed over in their entirety to a buyer".

"We are not planning to sell to purely financial investors, and the closure of locations is not the subject of the review," the Stuttgart-based group continued. The company stands by its promise to safeguard jobs for all employees covered by collective wage agreements until the end of 2029 and there will be no redundancies in the event of a possible reorganization. Rather, the aim is to secure the long-term sustainability of regional jobs and the competitiveness of the branches. The employee representatives are to be closely involved in the review, it said.

Head of the General Works Council: "slap in the face"

Meanwhile, the General Works Council criticized the plans as a "slap in the face" for employees. "After years of doing without and making numerous concessions on the part of the employees, the branches are profitable and make their contribution to the Group result," said Works Council Chairman Ergun Lümali. The plans are neither acceptable nor comprehensible.

Especially in times of transformation, employees need support, stability and confidence. "We will do everything we can to ensure that employees receive long-term guarantees," he said. If this does not fall on fertile ground in talks with the company, resistance will be offered./jwe/DP/stw