Opel Workers In Bochum Walk Off The Job
First signs of the interaction between Opel and its Bochum workforce getting nasty. Today, Opel workers in Bochum stopped the lines for several hours to attend a so-called “information session” with the works council, Germany’s Automobilwoche [sub] says.
Workers and works council have not agreed that the production of the Zafira will be moved to Rüsselsheim at the end of 2014. They want to know how much Opel will pay in severance, and whether there will be other jobs for the more than 3,000 workers. The move of the Zafira production from Bochum to Rüsselsheim will cost Opel about $130 million, said Rainer Einenkel, head of the works council.
Technically, these information sessions are not a strike. There could be more “information sessions” if there are no answers. Yesterday, Opel said it will keep the spare-parts distribution center in Bochum open until 2016 at its plant in Bochum, Bloomberg says. This in fulfillment of a contract with a logistics company not as a concession to the unions.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Oh Lord! If the UAW had done something like this we'd have 70+ comments. At least 69 of the 70 comments would be "the usual suspects".
Keep it up and Girsky will just have the whole place bulldozed, guys.
Something tells me that Opel dealers aren't sweating a potential lack of Zafiras.
Its not like they have anything to lose.