Michelin rejects employees' alternatives to German plants closures

Frankfurt, Germany – Michelin has rejected employee proposals offered as alternatives to its restructuring plans in Germany involving the loss of over 1,500 jobs.

Last November, the French group announced that it would close its production sites in Karlsruhe and Trier and new truck tire and semi-finished product operation in Homburg.

The restructuring measures, it said 28 Nov 2023, would impact 1,410 employees at the facilities, which are to cease industrial activities by the end of 2025.

Michelin is also to relocate its customer-contact centre for Germany, Austria and Switzerland from Karlsruhe to Poland by the end of 2025, affecting another 122 jobs.

In February, trade union IGBCE and localworks council presented alternative concepts for the Michelin plants that are set for closure at the end of 2025. (ERJ report)

Over 100 pages long, the paper "contained proposals for the creation of competence centres, more specialised production, the merging of plants and even reducing the number of employees,” said IGBC.

However, on 15 March, IGBCE reported that these proposals had been rejected by Michelin, ‘disappointing’ the employees of the affected factories.

Michelin's management rejected “all of these compelling and economically sound ideas,” said Matthias Hille, corporate manager for the IGBCE union.

Michelin, according to Hille, “is making the employees in its German locations the victims of a purely strategic decision.

“Many still cannot understand why knowledge, years of experience, top quality, reliability and flexibility are simply thrown away through this clear-cutting.” 

According to IGBCE, negotiations on the “reconciliation of interests and social plans” began on 14 March and are expected to last several weeks.

“We will do everything we can to ensure that Michelin... puts the necessary funds on the table to ensure reasonable future prospects for the employees affected,” Hille concluded.