On September 21, things will get loud Nationwide Day of Action: Auto Industry Workers Fight Back Against Mass Layoffs

On September 21, auto industry workers will send a clear message—nationwide through countless workplace actions at countless supplier companies and manufacturers. They will no longer allow themselves to be made scapegoats for a crisis they did not cause. They will no longer foot the bill for management mistakes and the consequences of geopolitical conflicts. That’s enough now! The workers are saying: Enough is enough!

Right now, the strategies of corporate executives are the height of audacity. Workers are expected to work more, earn less, or even lose their jobs, while companies pay out billions to shareholders. Relocation, job cuts, and plant closures are on the agenda throughout Germany. Last year alone, corporate executives eliminated over 50,000 jobs in the automotive industry. Corporate executives are in the process of driving Germany’s most important economic sector—and a central pillar of prosperity—into irrelevance and ruining it. This traditional industry faces the threat of total collapse. Yet one thing is clear: the industry will not emerge from the crisis and become more competitive through austerity measures, but only through investment and innovation.  

Employees of all brands stand together

The crisis in the German automotive industry is largely self-inflicted because the executive boards of the automakers have made a series of wrong decisions: small, affordable models were introduced too late. Important developments in digitalization and batteries were overlooked. Investments in future technologies and production sites were neglected. 

That is why the call for employees now is: resistance. Employees at some suppliers and manufacturers have already given their corporate bosses a hot summer with a series of actions . On September 21, they will come together nationwide at their workplaces to make it clear what must happen next. They are demanding: We need investments in sustainable products, training, and secure locations—not just short-term cost-cutting.

The motto of automotive industry workers is: “Solidarity is our strongest brand.” IG Metall is therefore calling on all workers at suppliers and manufacturers to participate in the actions on September 21.

Recommended reading: FAQs on the crisis in the automotive industry