MUNICH (Reuters) -Germany’s IG Metall union warned on Tuesday that Traton’s truck and bus brand MAN is making strategic decisions that could negatively affect workers at its German plants.
“MAN Truck & Bus SE intends to make decisions this week that will have serious repercussions for the future of its German locations, particularly for its main plant in Munich,” said the union in an invitation to a press conference planned Thursday.
IG Metall declined to give more details.
MAN said that it has come under increasing pressure to react to prolonged weak demand, customers’ declining willingness to invest and competition, for example from China.
“Therefore, employers and employee representatives initiated a dialogue very early on regarding a future-oriented positioning for MAN, with the goal of remaining competitive and a reliable employer,” said the truckmaker in a statement to Reuters.
Two people familiar with the discussions told Reuters that MAN’s strategic decisions involved investments in new models, and possibly also relocating production abroad.
MAN’s German production facilities include Munich, Nuremberg and the central city of Salzgitter.
(Reporting by Alexander Huebner, Writing by Miranda MurrayEditing by Madeline Chambers and Ludwig Burger)
