Robert Bosch, the world’s largest auto parts supplier, will cut the hours and pay of about 10,000 workers in , on top of previously announced cuts and on top of the thousands of job cuts announced on Friday.
In the latest sign of challenges facing the German auto sector due to weak demand and competition from cheaper Chinese rivals, Bosch said on Friday it would cut up to 5,550 jobs. And this a day after he said he would cut the working hours of 450 employees, Reuters reports.
Staff working mostly on 38- or 40-hour contracts at factories across Germany will cut their hours to 35 hours, a spokesman said on Saturday, confirming a report by the dpa news agency.
The slowdown in the German auto sector has also shaken Volkswagen, which is in an escalating dispute with workers over plans to close factories in Germany, and Mercedes, which has promised to make tougher cost cuts. Of course, VW employees have submitted a proposal for a reduction in wages so that jobs are not lost.
On Thursday, the company had announced that it will reduce the hours and consequently the pay of 450 workers in Germany from next spring, citing the difficult economic situation, a company spokesman said.
The workers, whose contracts called for them to work 38-40 hours a week, will only work 35 hours a week from March 1, the spokesman said. He said that the areas that will be affected are mainly in Stuttgart and Gerlingen.
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