IG Metall boss warns: By 2030, 70,000 car jobs are in danger

05/18/2018

IG Metall boss warns By 2030, 70,000 car jobs are in danger

DPA

IG Metall boss Jörg Hofmann

The IG Metall chairman Jörg Hofmann sees in the German auto industry by 2030 about 70,000 jobs at risk. “We need new jobs for almost 70,000 employees,” said Hofmann in an interview with manager magazin (release date May 18). If the proportion of electric cars rises to 25 percent by 2030, almost a quarter of the employees in the engine and transmission sector will no longer be needed, explained Hofmann. The assembly plants remained busy. But something had to be done urgently in the powertrain. “Unfortunately, some people in the boards make a slim walk.”

Hofmann called on companies to give their employees a new direction. The state also had to help. The automobile industry employs over 800,000 people in Germany. Around 320,000 of them work in the powertrain sector, according to Hofmann.

The IG Metall chairman warned the German automakers to manufacture battery cells themselves in the future. “If the German industry loses the connection, it is not only dependent on corporations in Korea and China,” said Hofmann. “It also gets an innovation problem, we need to prevent that.” He could imagine, for example, joint ventures with Asian companies.

Hofmann is also Deputy Chairman of the Volkswagen Supervisory Board. Regarding the case of the accused in the US former VW boss Martin Winterkorn, he said, first the prosecutors and courts are the turn. But if liability issues arise in the investigation of the diesel scandal, “we will assert them, be it with Mr. Winterkorn or other managers”.

More economy first-hand? The above text is just a minimal excerpt from the June issue of manager magazin. The new issue (and the next issue) you can here in the advantage offer order.Or browse here in the digital edition of the manager magazin.

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