AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING
Reutlingen headlamp production to be moved to Czech Republic / 130 employees affected
 Automotive Lighting manufactures around 20m headlamps a year worldwide (Photo: Automotive Lighting) |
Automotive Lighting Reutlingen (ALRT, Reutlingen / Germany) evidently plans to relocate all its production activities from Reutlingen to Automotive Lighting Brotterode (Brotterode / Germany) and Automotive Lighting sro (Jihlava / Czech Republic). The decision, which is expected to save the company EUR 5m a year, will affect 130 of the 700 employees in Reutlingen. Parent company Magneti Marelli (Corbetta / Italy; www.magnetimarelli.com) would not confirm the news to PIE.
In response to the decision, the works council and the IG Metall trade union in Reutlingen announced "massive opposition". On 2 December, some 1,000 employees demonstrated in front of the company headquarters in Reutlingen. They are particularly angry about work council reports on Magneti Marelli’s recent statements in local newspapers that its difficulties could be overcome by short-time working, and that it anticipated sufficient orders for 2010.
The Reutlingen facilities manufacture headlight reflectors, LED components and headlight levelling control systems. While production of the latter is to be moved to Brotterode, reflector manufacture is to be transferred to the Czech Republic. The employee representatives, however, believe this is just the beginning and that, in any event, the future of mould manufacture also becomes uncertain once local production ceases. The same is true of future development. "While there is a hiring freeze in Reutlingen, development capacities are being built up in places like eastern Europe. It’s like stabbing the competence centre for headlamp reflector production and the entire site in the back. We will try to counter the company's plans with a concept of our own," said Michael Bidmon from IG Metall Reutlingen-Tübingen.
Automotive Lighting has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli since November 2003. In 2008, it posted sales of around EUR 1.6 bn, made up of EUR 1.25 bn from headlamps and the remainder from rear lights. The company employs nearly 10,000 workers worldwide and is regarded as one of the world's leading manufacturers in this segment.
In response to the decision, the works council and the IG Metall trade union in Reutlingen announced "massive opposition". On 2 December, some 1,000 employees demonstrated in front of the company headquarters in Reutlingen. They are particularly angry about work council reports on Magneti Marelli’s recent statements in local newspapers that its difficulties could be overcome by short-time working, and that it anticipated sufficient orders for 2010.
The Reutlingen facilities manufacture headlight reflectors, LED components and headlight levelling control systems. While production of the latter is to be moved to Brotterode, reflector manufacture is to be transferred to the Czech Republic. The employee representatives, however, believe this is just the beginning and that, in any event, the future of mould manufacture also becomes uncertain once local production ceases. The same is true of future development. "While there is a hiring freeze in Reutlingen, development capacities are being built up in places like eastern Europe. It’s like stabbing the competence centre for headlamp reflector production and the entire site in the back. We will try to counter the company's plans with a concept of our own," said Michael Bidmon from IG Metall Reutlingen-Tübingen.
Automotive Lighting has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli since November 2003. In 2008, it posted sales of around EUR 1.6 bn, made up of EUR 1.25 bn from headlamps and the remainder from rear lights. The company employs nearly 10,000 workers worldwide and is regarded as one of the world's leading manufacturers in this segment.
08.12.2009 Plasteurope.com [215032]
Published on 08.12.2009
German version of this article...