PROTEST OVER POSSIBLE CLOSURE OF AUDI PLANT IN NECKARSULM

STUTTGART, JULY 29 /SRNA/ - Around 6,000 workers at German carmaker Audi protested today against the possible closure of the plant in Neckarsulm due to high costs caused by increasingly strong Chinese competition and US tariffs.

The protest took place at the same time as German carmaker BMW announced that it would cut several thousand jobs. Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is carrying out a restructuring program that is expected to result in tens of thousands of job cuts. The company's Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume warned earlier that Neckarsulm was among four German plants that could be closed after 2030 if no other solution is found. Blume is seeking to avoid plant closures by proposing alternatives that include partnerships with the defense sector and the production of Volkswagen's Chinese models, which are currently unavailable for sale in Europe, at underutilised plants across Germany. The Neckarsulm plant employs around 15,000 people and produces the Audi A5, A6 and A8 models, as well as the fully electric Audi e-tron GT in smaller production runs. Neckarsulm Mayor Steffen Hertwig warned that the closure of the plant in the city would have far-reaching consequences for the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, a traditional automotive region where Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Bosch are also under pressure.