The Volkswagen brand plants will be shut down for two weeks due to the corona crisis. The measure to protect employees also has causes in the supply chain.
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars (VW) brand shuts down its production in its European plants. Plants of the Volkswagen Group component are also affected.
The reasons for the production stop are the emerging slump in demand in the automotive markets, the problems from the supply chains of the suppliers, the spreading corona virus and official restrictions.
The factories will initially remain closed for two weeks. For the affected German locations, the regulation applies from Thursday (March 19) with the end of the late shift.
“The spread of the corona virus in Europe is increasingly burdening the demand situation. At the same time, supplying our plants with supplier parts is becoming increasingly difficult, “says Ralf Brandstätter, COO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand.” We are convinced that this is also in the interests of the employees, whose concern about the corona spread is growing rapidly. “
“Don’t just keep going as if nothing had happened.”
Works council chairman Bernd Osterloh welcomed the production stop: “In times when people are no longer allowed to go to playgrounds, concerts, church or evenings in the restaurant – and also no longer buy cars and Volkswagen has supplier problems – production cannot simply continue as if nothing had happened. “There was no alternative for him to stop production. All other points would be clarified between the company and the works council.
The company restaurants, self-service shops, cafeterias, bistros, casino and catering are already closed, conferences are generally carried out via Skype or video, major events have been canceled across the board.
Special protection also applies to employees with special health risks due to previous illnesses, including of the heart, lungs and weakened immune system.
Restrictions on employees
Employees who have returned from abroad since March 14 are prohibited from entering the company premises and other properties of Volkswagen AG for the duration of the 14-day incubation period.
In order to keep the virus transmission as low as possible, employees are encouraged to reduce contacts as much as possible. Managers and employees should examine the possibilities of mobile working, i.e. working from home. Mobile work is possible up to five days a week.
There is also a general business travel ban for VW employees – across plants and abroad. This also affects traffic between the plants. The internal shuttle flights between the locations have already been discontinued.
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