ETUC: EU must stop industry crisis on its doorstep

The threat to tens of thousands of European industrial workers’ livelihoods, including more than 3000 jobs at Audi and its subcontractors on the doorstep of the European institutions, shows the urgent need for the EU to deliver an industrial deal that will protect and create quality jobs.

Trade unions will march in Brussels today to demand political action in response to a threat from carmaker Audi to cut jobs at its plant in Brussels which will affect thousands of workers.

The demonstration, organised by Belgian manufacturing sector unions in coordination with their European federation industriAll Europe, will feature a rally in Place Luxembourg, at the heart of neighbourhood which is home to the European institutions.

Almost 1 million jobs

The need for coordinated EU action is urgent. The problems in the automotive sector are part of a wider trend which saw Europe lose 850,000 jobs across industry between 2019 and 2023.

Large scale restructuring in the steel industry has been announced in several groups, including liberty steel, ThyssenKrupp in Duisburg (where workers will rally simultaneously on Monday). Stellantis has announced restructuring in Italy and France, while Volkswagen has reneged on a three-decade old collective bargaining agreement with IG Metall which protected jobs. 

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to convene an emergency task force of trade unions and employers to solve the crisis through a powerful industrial deal based on investment not austerity.

Speaking ahead of today’s demonstration, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said:

“The imminent threat to thousands of jobs on the doorstep of the European institutions should bring home to EU leaders that they are simply not doing enough to support our industries.

“That is why we want to see increased investment in our industries made dependent on social conditionalities which ensure companies act in a responsible way and create quality jobs, not destroy them.

“While it has become fashionable to talk about an industrial strategy, the crisis in our car industry shows we desperately need to see good intentions turned into practical action.

“Ursula von der Leyen needs to show she’s on the side of industrial workers by setting up an emergency task force to end this crisis and ensure European industry has a bright future.”

Judith Kirton-Darling, IndustriAll Europe General Secretary, said:

“The automotive industry will have no future in Europe if it’s based on increasing social inequalities and fuelling corporate greed – this is an asset-stripping strategy – rather than a proactive industrial deal.

We need investment but with social conditionalities to guarantee quality jobs, training for the workforce and social dialogue, starting with the respect of existing rights and agreements.”