FULDA, Germany—Negotiations between Goodyear and German labor union IGBCE over proposed job cuts at the tire maker's Fulda plant have ended without agreement, according to the union.
The IGBCE claimed Sept. 7 that Goodyear had pulled out of the talks after union negotiators had offered a counterproposal to the planned cutbacks.
"Goodyear Germany's chief negotiator unilaterally declared the negotiations on a reconciliation of interests and a social plan for the Fulda site to have failed," the union stated.
For months, Goodyear managers met with the plant's works council and the IGBCE over plans to cut 557 jobs and reduce production at Fulda. The proposal would reduce the number of tire SKUs produced at the plant by around 450. Roughly 200 of those would be transferred to other Goodyear plants in its Europe, Middle East and Africa business area.
Goodyear maintains that the measures are necessary to "decrease high-cost capacity and optimize use of other plants" across EMEA. But IGBCE disagrees. For its part, the trade union has argued that the cutbacks would "damage" the overall operation at Goodyear's Fulda site, and has vowed to "fight for every job."
Goodyear recently unveiled a separate restructuring plan to cut 1,200 jobs across EMEA. It's a plan that Goodyear said could result in $100 milllion in savings.
