Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Germany
Region
Baden-Württemberg; Freiburg; Ortenaukreis
Location of affected unit(s)
Oberkirch
Sector
Manufacturing
Manufacture For Transport Equipment
Manufacture Of Motor Vehicles, Trailers And Semi-Trailers
29.3 - Manufacture of parts and accessories for motor vehicles

120 - 150 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
29 December 2020
Employment effect (start)
1 January 2021
Foreseen end date
31 December 2021

Description

As announced on 29 December 2020, the German automotive supplier Progress-Werk Oberkirch (PWO) will be cutting approximately 120 to 150 jobs at its plant in Oberkirch by the end of 2021 due to internal restructuring. The reduction is part of the strategy to stay competitive, as personnel costs in Germany have become significantly higher compared to its other locations. PWO is considering relocating its production from Oberkirch to its plant in the Czech Republic. PWO intends to achieve its job reduction goal mainly via a voluntary programme until the end of 2021. In order to remain competitive, the plant will also focus on digitalisation, big data analysis and machine learning in the future. 

In October 2020, PWO already announced that it will be cutting 200 jobs until the end of 2020 via a voluntary programme (Progress-Werk, 2020).

Currently, PWO has 1,250 employees in Oberkirch.  


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Progress-Werk Oberkirch, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 102957, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/102957.