In view of the crisis of the auto industry, Continental plans to include factory closures in four federal states in its plastic technology division.
A total of around 580 jobs are affected, as the company announced. It is planned to stop production in Bad Blankenburg (Thuringia), Stolzenau (Lower Saxony) and Moers (North Rhine-Westphalia) as well as the hiring of the tool construction at the Frohburg and Geithain double location (Saxony).
In addition, the activities of the future independent business area Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) should be reduced at the Hamburg location. In the course of the planned independence of the Continental Auto supplement division Automotive, a production line from the ContiTech location in Hanover is also to be shifted to an automotive location.
Reaction to the continued decline in demand
“With the planned measures, we react to a changed market situation that is characterized by strong and persistent decades of demand in some customer industries,” said Continental board member Philip Nelles. “In particular, the developments in the automotive industry and brown coal mining in Europe face challenges.”
The aim is to make the planned measures as socially responsible as possible and to enable as many employees as possible to switch to other parts of the company, said Nelles.
Criticism of the works council and union
There was violent criticism for the plans of the group from the Continental overall works council Rubber and the IGBCE chemistry union. “We are deeply affected and dismayed,” said the works council chairman, Matthias Tote. He called for a financially strong catch -up network for his colleagues, some of whom worked in structurally weak regions.
IGBCE Group supervisor Michael Linnartz said Continental Taumele has been restructuring to the next for years. The workforce would have had to make concessions again and again. “And yet the group turns new string plans around the corner every few months. This is helpless, destructive and demotivating,” said Linnartz.
Continental recently increased despite the crisis
Last November, the Continental Group surprised with a significant increase in profit. Despite a slightly declining sales, the profit rose to 486 million euros in the third quarter and was almost 63 percent higher than a year earlier. The group had been able to grip a noticeably due to both the car supplement and in the tire division characterized by industry weakness and in the tire division. At Contitech, on the other hand, it looked significantly wall: sales and results dropped due to the weak industrial demand in Europe and in North America.
According to company information, around 39,000 people in 37 countries and markets worldwide. In Germany there are around 11,000 employees at over 22 locations. The division focuses on products and systems made of rubber, plastic, metal and tissue. The offer includes conveyor belts, industrial hoses and drive belts for agricultural machinery.
The Continental share temporarily lists 2.57 percent higher at 69.48 euros via Xetra.
Hannover (dpa-Afx)
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