Mexican Media Brands
Daimler Tangles with German Workers About Shift Cut
Daimler AG has reached a stalemate in talks with unions about eliminating one of two shifts at its Mercedes-Benz car plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, Bloomberg News reports.
#labor
Share
Daimler AG has reached a stalemate in talks with unions about eliminating one of two shifts at its Mercedes-Benz car plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, Bloomberg News reports.
Erich Klemm, head of Daimler's works council, warns that the parties may be forced into arbitration for the first time in more than 40 years.
The union wants production of the S-Class flagship sedan at Sindelfingen to alternate weekly between early and late shifts, according to Bloomberg.
Daimler tells the news service it seeks to operate the plant only on the early shift, thus avoiding an 11% premium paid to workers on the late shift. That plan also would enable Daimler to retool the factory in the afternoon for the next-generation S-Class due next year.
Daimler aims to prune a reported €2 billion in costs at its Mercedes-Benz Cars unit under its new "Fit for Leadership Initiative." The company lowered its 2012 outlook for the car business last month to an unspecified decline in operating profit from €5.2 billion in 2011.
RELATED CONTENT
-
UAW Launches Strike Against GM
As expected, some 48,000 of the United Auto Workers Union members began a strike at midnight Sunday against General Motors Co. facilities in the U.S.
-
Is Brexit U.K. Auto’s Waterloo?
French manufacturers, particularly those in the automotive sector, are making significant investments in robotic technology, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The organization says that its most recent figures show that the number of robots installed in the French car industry rose 22 percent, to 1,400 units.
-
Bentley Looking for Apprentices
It is always encouraging to learn about the efforts of OEMs and suppliers that are running apprenticeship programs to help train the future of the industry.