Their plant is to be converted into a modern digital pilot operation, fully automated, with robots. It starts on April 1st. In the next two years, the automotive supplier Faurecia is investing 1.3 million euros in its location in Scheuerfeld, Rhineland-Palatinate, where nearly 300 employees produce instrument panels for Mercedes, Opel and Volvo.
The employees do not need to be afraid of the digital transformation. Her work is secured until the end of 2028. Faurecia and guarantees at least 190 permanent employees and the maintenance of education at its current level. Anyone who is released despite this, receives a five- to six-figure severance payment, depending on the company tradesman. “Closing a plant would cost Faurecia 50 to 60 million euros – just for the workforce,” explains IG Metall negotiator Uwe Zabel. That makes a closure too expensive.
Workforce is shaping digital transformation
All this is secured by collective agreements. This has been enforced by 100 percent of the employees of IG Metall. The collective agreements at Faurecia in Scheuerfeld clearly go beyond securing jobs and locations. Completely new is a “transformation collective agreement”, which stipulates that the employees have a say in shaping and shaping the digital transformation of their work. The collective agreement enters into force on 1 April.
The transformation is managed by a Steering Group, which is half staffed by representatives of the employer and the employee. The works council receives all documents for this. The IG Metall shop stewards advise the works council. They have a meeting once a month during working hours and receive special training. The IG Metall members are informed and involved four times a year in meetings during working hours.
All are qualified
The work in the future modern digitalized and automated Scheuerfeld plant will be completely different. For example, there will only be self-propelled forklifts. Nevertheless, the forklift drivers need not be afraid. They are retrained for the changed work. Faurecia pays all employees qualifications, during working hours, at full pay. The employer and works council prepare qualification plans for each employee.
And even if the work is made easier by the transformation: Nobody should therefore be grouped into lower pay scales. Also the money is secured.
Years of struggle for location and jobs
The future for the employees of Faurecia in Scheuerfeld is secure. Seven years ago, the future looked even bleaker: the French top management wanted to shut down the plant – although the company made billions in profits. The employees fought back together with the IG Metall, with warning strikes and multi-day company meetings. When the assembly lines at Mercedes had stopped for three days due to missing supplies from Scheuerfeld, the management turned it in and took the closure off the table. By a social collective agreement, which provides for high severance pay, secured the IG Metall location and jobs.
Three years ago, workers won the extension of the social security agreement and Scheuerfeld’s works until the end of 2028. Two years ago, they prevented the sale of their factory and once again secured their social tariff. “Other employees can learn a lot from Faurecia’s colleagues “Emphasizes Uwe Wallbrecher, first authorized representative of the responsible IG Metall office in Betzdorf. “If you stick together, you can not be cracked, not even by a global corporation.”
Future thanks to militant workforce
After closure and sale had failed, the company decided a few months ago to make Scheuerfeld more profitable through digitization and automation – but required concessions of the staff in terms of working hours and holiday and Christmas bonus. This defended the workforce, defended their social tariff – and secured their participation and participation in the upcoming transformation.
“This success was only possible through the active participation and combat readiness of our 100 percent IG Metall members in the company,” clarifies negotiator Zabel. “We knew exactly, when it comes down to it, everyone will be fully involved again. We know where we buried our hatchet. Add to this the good quality of the work in Scheuerfeld – and the short-term just-in-time supply relationships. After just three days of strike at Daimler, the band stands by. “99 percent of the IG Metall members in the company voted in favor of the transformation collective bargaining agreement negotiated with the employer.
Now begins a new time in Scheuerfeld, says the works council chairman Yüksel Öztürk. “For years, as a works council and employees, we have had fears about jobs. Now the work of the works council goes in a different direction. We go to the co-creation of the work. “