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The coming crisis How long can Germany keep auto jobs.
The recession has caused a dent in global auto sales, but German automakers have avoided massive layoffs, in part, that the art because the German government subsidizes workers whose hours have been trimmed by a program called Kurzarbeit or short A successful cash for Clunkers program, which has just finished, to also cover the industry.
But how long before the blue-collar workers from Germany head for the unemployment lines don t look good signs If the application doesn t return to pre-recession soon, many German carmakers begin probably do layoffs analysts estimate up to 10 percent of the workforce could face the chop, while others will need new skills to cope with changes in employment in the automotive sector in the automotive industry Germany peaked, says Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen job losses are coming, and workers will have to find opportunities in other industries.
The likelihood of massive layoffs could increase by the newly elected center-right government in Germany September 27, Chancellor Angela Merkel won national elections and will now form a coalition with the pro-business Free Democratic Party, which wants make it easier for German companies to dismiss workers analysts warn the automotive industry could become a primary target.
Even before the recent election, deletions autoworker jobs were already being Dudenhöffer said 2007 marked the top automotive jobs in Germany, with about 750 000 jobs divided between producers and suppliers Around 30 000 jobs have been lost over the past two years, and another 70,000 could go by 2015.
The short-term government support, said Ian Greer, professor of economics at the University of Leeds in Britain or the employer starts paying full salary to that point or, more likely without a strong recovery, there will be massive layoffs.
Changing habits of consumers behind the job on hold reduces Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at the automotive website said German manufacturers must make painful adjustments to make less expensive high-end cars, which generate margins grease the global recession has forced many consumers to return to cheaper, more fuel efficient and small cars, which offer less lucrative builders returns people want cheaper and smaller cars, said Krebs, which will inevitably affect the line background, which speaks of the loss of employment.
Aware of the changing market dynamics, German union IG Metall, which represents many in the auto industry of the country, is now asking the government to strengthen the rights of employees with a campaign called Gemeinsam für ein gutes Leben or together for a good life The s plane union includes the creation of a national minimum wage and increase protection of older workers the union organizes regular gatherings throughout the country with tens of thousands of workers to build popular support.
Indeed, the pressure on the industry - and its workers - are very many German automakers are suffering from excess production capacity despite shrinking demand in three to five years, automakers will face major structural problems, primarily excess capacity, said Peter Kaiser, principal analyst at economic consultancy Prognos in Bremen.
If more manufacturing jobs are moving overseas, the German automotive industry could shift gears to take advantage of Kaiser suggests, the continued strength of the country in the design and engineering that could include an engineering marketing logo Germany, instead of the current campaign of Made in Germany.
The recession undoubtedly helps accelerate change in the German automotive industry to manufacture blue-collar jobs to white collar work such as design and marketing But to succeed, experts from the automotive industry say Germany will be of highly qualified young professionals, particularly engineers and help current workers acquire new skills the only chance for the German automotive industry is to focus on maintaining high-quality jobs, says Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of automotive research Institute in Bergisch-Gladbach.
Of course, all German manufacturers are in the same position and Volkswagen subsidiary Audi held remarkably well and can be better prepared for shifts during the most troubled automakers in the industry such as Daimler and BMW have also adjusted their workforce to prepare lower domestic demand and a shift to small cars.
Daimler relations with its workforce show how a German automaker manages the evolution of the market for corporate objective is to maintain existing jobs in Germany while adding to overseas operations in April 2009, management and IG Metall agreed to reduce the cost of labor while preserving jobs which included no formal layoff until mid-2010, but nearly three-quarters of the 162,800 German employees Daimler had to accept to work reduced hours.
As a German company, the passenger car business will always have a strong footprint of production in its home market, said spokeswoman Nicole Kicherer Daimler Daimler is also set for growth in emerging markets, she added future production will focus on regional markets in Brazil, China, India and South Africa.
Daimler is also building a plant in Hungary, which will start production on small cars Class and B-Class car manufacturer in 2012. The project will be linked to an existing plant in Germany, which will always be the main production site for these cars and other compact vehicles.
The combination of German facilities with plants abroad could save domestic jobs, cushion the impact of the cuts in the work of less skilled production Bratzel The Center for Automotive Research Institute said lower wages in emerging countries will force German autoworkers to adapt if they want to keep their job my advice to the automotive industry is to focus on innovation and quality construction here in Germany - the creation of the car of the future - although some functions production move elsewhere, he said.
The coming crisis How long can Germany save our Auto SPIEGEL ONLINE jobs, come, crisis, long.