After several weeks of closure and as much social discontent, the Brussels plant of the car manufacturer Audi was able to restart as planned this Tuesday, indicated the company’s spokesperson, Peter D’hoore. The morning team at Audi Brussels starts its shift at 6 a.m. In addition to the return to work, Tuesday will be marked by a new extraordinary works council, the third since the restructuring announcement at the beginning of July.
Work will gradually resume on a voluntary basis this Tuesday morning at Audi Brussels. At the same time, a 3rd extraordinary works council (CE) will take place in the morning, where management could present or clarify alternative projects for the Forest plant.
This Tuesday marks the gradual voluntary resumption of work at Audi Brussels, which has been at a standstill since 9 July and the announcement of the restructuring. In total, some 300 people are expected. At 6am, around thirty workers entered the factory. Subcontractors are blocking the main entrance, but there are six other alternative entrances, so the workers are able to get in, says Dominique Bray (CNE).
Unions estimate that 80% of the workers who were expected at the site early on Tuesday arrived at the factory. “Earlier, I was in front of the main entrance, the parking lot is not very big but was full. Most of the workers arrived between 5:30 and 6 a.m. since their schedule, their shift starts at 6 a.m.” reports our journalist Lise Cassoth live at 7 a.m. on bel RTL.
“I was able to talk to some of them. They explained to me that their feelings are mixed. On the one hand, they are happy to be able to return to work since they had not set foot in the factory since July 9. On the other hand, there is still this worry hanging over them. Will they keep their jobs or not?”relays our journalist.
The sheet metal and paint shops are the first to get back up and running this Tuesday. Tomorrow, the assembly, battery production and final assembly shops will follow. This represents the bulk of the company, according to Pascal Delbrulle, FGTB delegate.
This recovery will however also depend on the supply of parts by Audi Brussels subcontractors, about which the unions have no feedback, the factory management referring them to the management of these subcontractors.
A 3rd extraordinary works council (CE)
The day after the demonstration in Brussels in support of Audi Brussels workers, a 3rd extraordinary works council (CE), organised as part of phase 1 of the Renault law on collective redundancies, is planned from 10:00 to 13:00. Audi announced on 9 July its intention to restructure the Brussels plant, raising the threat of closure and the potential loss of 1,500 jobs as early as next October, followed by more than 1,100 more next year.
The unions will have the opportunity to ask further questions and hope for answers from management, particularly on alternative options for the site. “We know that there are leads for three investors or buyers. And we still don’t have any concrete information on an Asian company and its level of interest,” preface Pascal Debrulle, FGTB delegate.
Ludovic Pineur, the permanent secretary of the CNE Industry, is expecting “concrete, credible and realistic alternatives”.
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