18 July, 2017More than 250 new jobs will be created at Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant, as battery production is added as new product group.
Workers at Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant had refused overtime as of 1 July, amid fears that the new battery factory would lead to job losses.
But with a new agreement reached, several billion euros will be invested into the future development of the Untertürkheim site in the next years. In total, the agreement creates over 250 new jobs in the area of e-mobility and has long-term effects for safeguarding the employees at the site.
In order to ensure competitiveness, the company agreement reached between the plant’s management and works council includes measures to enhance flexibility and efficiency. This refers for example to the optimization of the plant’s operating time as well as to variable shift models and flexible workforce deployment.
Untertürkheim is taking a large step towards electric mobility and strengthening our competencies for alternative drive systems. These are good signals for the Untertürkheim plant,
says Wolfgang Nieke, Chairman of the Works Council Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim Plant.
The Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim is the lead plant in the global powertrain production and the home of the Daimler headquarter. With more than 19,000 employees, the plant produces engines, axles, transmissions and components.
Helmut Lense, IndustriALL director for the automotive industry, says:
With the transformation to electric cars many of these components are no longer needed. The agreement is an important step in creating new workplaces as a compensation for the loss of existing ones.