German carmaker Audi has held talks with the works council after the strikes

The board of German carmaker Audi has held talks with the works council over the company’s problems.

“In difficult economic times, the works council and the company discuss how to avoid layoffs,” said Jörg Schlagbauer, head of the works council.

A report by Manager Magazin said Audi wants to cut thousands of jobs in Germany in the medium term, with around 4,500 jobs at risk including 2,000 in development alone.

Schlagbauer said: “We are discussing with the company about the content-related goals of making Audi climate-proof, but we have not yet negotiated. We want clear structures, faster decision-making, improved processes and creating more value for Audi.”

Audi employs around 54,000 people in Germany. In 2019, the administration and the labor council agreed on “a reduction in social responsibility up to 9,500 jobs in line with the population by 2025.” According to Audi, this system is very complete.

An Audi spokesperson emphasized that the company’s employment guarantee remains in place until 2029, as confirmed by chief financial officer Jürgen Rittersberger on Tuesday.

However, new hires should be “hand-picked,” focusing on increasing efficiency and competitiveness.