Schaeffler plant structural adjustments - Homburg site significantly affected

Schaeffler is planning structural adjustments to its global production network. The Homburg site in the Saarland is to be "massively affected" by this, as the company announced on Tuesday.

The background to this is the "accelerated transformation of the automotive industry towards e-mobility". Schaeffler wants to "align its production capacities with the changed market requirements." The company did not provide any details on the extent of the planned job cuts in Homburg.

The works council and the IG Metall union criticized the plans. The works council chairman, Markus Gierend, spoke of a "bitter day" for the Homburg location. IG Metall district manager Hans-Jürgen Urban demanded a "socially acceptable solution" for the employees affected.

Schaeffler is one of the world's leading automotive suppliers and employs around 83,000 people worldwide. The company has been represented in Homburg since 1949 and currently employs around 3,900 people there.

The announcement of the planned structural adjustments comes at a time when the automotive industry is facing major challenges. The transition to e-mobility is forcing manufacturers and suppliers to rethink their production processes and product portfolios.

Schaeffler is not the only automotive supplier planning job cuts. Continental, for example, announced in October 2022 that it would cut around 13,000 jobs worldwide. ZF Friedrichshafen also announced job cuts in the same month.

The structural changes in the automotive industry are also having an impact on the Saarland. In addition to Schaeffler, other companies in the region are also planning job cuts. Ford, for example, announced in June 2022 that it would cut around 3,800 jobs at its Saarlouis plant.