The situation in the German automotive industry is alarming. After very successful years with record profits, many companies are announcing staff cuts and location closures due to current competitive problems. Misguided business decisions and a delayed transformation to electromobility must not now be carried out at the expense of employees. This also endangers the acceptance of the urgently needed mobility transition.
A socially acceptable mobility transition also requires a future-oriented German automotive industry. At the same time, there is only a good future for the industry with an ecological restructuring. The transformation of industrial work and value creation can only be successful if politicians set a clear framework and actively shape the change together with companies.
The Alliance for Socially Acceptable Mobility Transition sees an urgent need for action:
1. Companies must adapt model policies and maintain locations.
There has been a failure to bring affordable and resource-saving electric vehicles onto the market. Due to this failed model policy by companies, sales figures are falling short of expectations and locations are not being utilized to capacity. German manufacturers and manufacturers producing in Germany in particular have to assert this market segment against Asian competition. This is an investment in their future. In particular, smaller vehicle models that are affordable for all income levels must be produced in Europe.
In some cases, locations in this country are closed and plants are rebuilt abroad, where lower environmental and social standards apply and lower taxes and wages are paid. The alliance expressly speaks out against such an approach. It massively jeopardizes the support of the population and workforce for the urgently needed transformation and shifts problems instead of solving them.
2. Politics must provide support in the short term.
Instead of constantly discussing climate protection targets or propagating fake technological solutions such as e-fuels, politicians must ensure a reliable framework. The industry needs planning security.
Clear signposts are needed for change in the automotive industry that accelerate the mobility transition, affordable fleets and climate protection as well as offer unsettled or disappointed employees a perspective:
A stronger CO2 orientation of tax instruments in the motor vehicle sector promotes the sale of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles. State funding should also be based on the production and transport-related CO2 footprint.
A social leasing program can make e-mobility accessible to broader sections of the population in addition to the urgently needed expansion of public transport in rural areas. Such support should, similar to the example of France, be based on social and ecological criteria, without being limited to working people. In addition, it should only be granted for vehicles manufactured in Europe. At the same time, it makes sense to restart further and supplementary funding programs, for example for the purchase of e-cars for social institutions and services or for the purchase of e-buses.
A new program for a comprehensive charging infrastructure: The development of charging infrastructure must be supported particularly in rural regions and for low-income households so that large parts of the population benefit from the change in drive system. There is an urgent need for binding specifications for the barrier-free development and expansion of the charging infrastructure as well as simpler approval processes.
3. Central political tasks for the next legislature
For more security and long-term, positive prospects for the automotive industry and its numerous employees, the new federal government should prioritize the following agenda:
Enabling new value creation and employment: Affected regions and the supplier industry must be supported in the transformation through active industrial policy to establish new key areas, transformation funds for small and medium-sized companies and the preservation of locations.
Intensify further training: Existing instruments must be actively used and opportunities for qualification must be continually developed. The aim must be seamless employment with full pension entitlement.
The necessary transformation of the mobility system as a whole can only succeed if, in addition to key areas such as the financing and expansion of rail and public transport, the relocation of goods and the redesign of urban traffic areas, the German automotive industry also exploits its potential in the area of sustainable mobility and becomes socially responsible , innovative and future-oriented. As a united voice of trade unions, social, welfare and environmental associations as well as the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Alliance for Socially Acceptable Mobility Transition expressly advocates an actively shaped transformation of the automotive industry and criticizes the fact that the debate is being replaced by the long-overdue development of future-oriented and long-term strategies is distorted by short-term smokescreens.
The detailed position of the Alliance for Socially Acceptable Mobility Transition can be found in Position paper (2023) can be read. The paper deals with an important aspect of a social and ecological mobility transition. You can find the alliance’s recommendations for action on other key topics here.
The Alliance for Socially Compatible Mobility Transition bundles the expertise of trade unions (IG Metall, ver.di, DGB), social, welfare and environmental associations (VdK, SoVD, AWO, VCD, BUND, NABU) and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), to support the transformation of mobility in Germany together. Together, the alliance represents many millions of members and offers a platform for issues surrounding a social and ecological mobility transition. The alliance is funded and supported by the Mercator Foundation.