The employee representatives of the world's largest automotive supplier are calling for joint action against the decline of their own industry. “Made in Europe” rules should come quickly and bindingly.
General works council head Frank Sell: “The future is electric – but not exclusively.” Photo: Bernd Weißbrod/dpa
Gerlingen. Employee representatives from the world's largest auto supplier Bosch are calling for a national task force made up of employers, employees, unions and politicians. It is intended to prevent the impending loss of tens of thousands of jobs and technological substance.
The general works council of the Bosch mobility division represents around 74,000 employees at around 40 German locations. He presented a comprehensive position paper at the company headquarters in Gerlingen near Stuttgart.
“The transformation of our industry will only succeed if we maintain added value and jobs in Europe,” said General Works Council Chairman Frank Sell. What is needed is a pragmatic and, above all, quickly implemented industrial policy with clear “Made in EU” rules. These should give the industry the time to position itself to be competitive together.
The task force must develop viable solutions in which party and short-term corporate interests are put aside. It's about the fate of 13 million employees.
In its position paper, the Bosch Mobility General Works Council expressly commits to the transformation towards electromobility and climate protection. At the same time, he warns urgently about the consequences of political and economic mismanagement.
Without a reliable framework, Europe is at risk of losing core competencies. The employee representatives formulate four concrete core demands in the paper.
Real “local content rules”: In the future, public funding and contracts should be linked to production and employment in Europe. Mere final assembly of imported components should not be considered “Made in the EU”. In addition, the suppliers, who provide around 75 percent of the added value of a vehicle, would have to be particularly protected.
Reality check for the Green Deal and CO₂ fleet regulation: The future is electric – but not exclusively. The works councils are calling for technological openness and the promotion of highly efficient bridge technologies such as plug-in hybrids (PHEV). In the heavy commercial vehicle segment, the hydrogen combustion engine must also be treated equally for tax purposes.
Protection of critical key technologies: Europe must not limit itself to standard components. Critical future technologies such as electronics, driving assistance and safety systems as well as software must be specifically kept in Europe in order to secure technological sovereignty.
Rapid implementation of the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA): Content requirements for electronics and components of electric drives would have to apply immediately - without a three-year transition period. “We simply cannot afford such a deadline if we want to prevent entire production lines from moving away,” said Eisenach works council leader Maik Freitag.
Fuel cell propulsion system: “The real battle for technological sovereignty takes place under the hood.” Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
"If Germany and Europe are to continue to play a leading role as industrial locations in the future, we must adapt our rules to the market and competition. Otherwise we will die beautifully," said Mario Gutmann, member of the supervisory board and head of the works council in Bamberg.
Anyone who puts people's economic substance and social security at risk is endangering social cohesion, warned Gutmann. He called for pragmatic transition paths instead of a rigid end date of 2035 for combustion engine technology. Without continuing partial retirement, no socially acceptable adjustment of the workforce is possible.
Anyone who wants access to the European market must produce here under fair conditions. Francesco Tramonti, works council
The Leonberg works council Stefan Bischoff warned: “The real battle for technological sovereignty takes place under the hood – in the drive train, in autonomous driving functions and in AI-dominated electronics and software architecture.” There is therefore a need for clear “Made in EU” rules that protect both the development and production of high-tech components from European suppliers.
The head of the Bühler works council, Francesco Tramonti, emphasized that the massive job cuts at his location were not due to the end of combustion engines, but rather to unfair competitive conditions. “If you want access to the European market, you have to produce here under fair conditions,” demanded Tramonti.
The situation in the German auto industry is getting worse. According to union figures, 50,000 jobs were lost last year. The initiative by the Bosch works councils marks the start of nationwide protests in the industry. They start next Monday with a day of action and mass demonstrations.
The pressure on the federal government - and especially on Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) - is likely to increase significantly in the coming days.
The Bosch Group has been trying for decades to become less dependent on car production. But their long-lasting success kept the share of sales from the vehicle industry at more than 60 percent. With the transformation to electromobility, the signs are changing: Bosch has decided to cut more than 20,000 jobs in Germany.
Chinese competitors are entering the market, and the production of electrical components requires significantly fewer employees than combustion technology. Companies also point to high labor costs and are increasingly outsourcing production abroad.
Bosch's biggest diversification move to date was the acquisition of the residential and small commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning businesses of Johnson Controls and Hitachi. The group paid around eight billion dollars for this in 2024 – the largest takeover in Bosch history.
