After scouring last year, the site of dying VW Forest must end its survival to the investment of infrastructure that recovers Audi to assemble Audi A3 Sportback (pending in 2009, the Audi A1 ). To mark this shift, the leaders of the German car company put the package Show in the U.S. timed with German rigor, parade of luxury cars, presentation of video clips touting the brand with the four rings and photo shoots in the presence of former Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and new directors of the Brussels site, Audi has spared no efforts to make an impression: now called Forest VW Audi Brussels. The loss of 3,000 jobs is a bad memory to believe the German leaders that ensure the sustainability of the Brussels plant. " Initial situation was not simple" says Martin Winterkorn, the CEO of VW, came to Brussels with Ferdinand Piech, the big boss of the German group. "We met to find the best solution for Brussels in a constructive atmosphere. The result is respectable. With Audi, Brussels gets a strong partner. "
A partner who has registered 900,000 sales last year, which is a million this year and a half million in 2015. "Audi accumulates records for 12 years" ensures Rupert Stadler, CEO of Audi. "If, now, our brand has 22 models in the future we want to offer 40. To achieve these objectives, we rely on the skilled labor from Brussels. "
Forest, with its 2,200 workers who survived the restructuring last year, will produce 17,000 copies of the Audi A3 Sportback (in addition to the Golf and Polo) this year. The company guarantees until 2009 an annual order volume of 84,000 vehicles Audi and VW. In late 2009, the Audi A1 will land also the assembly line. The production rate is estimated at 100,000 cars per year.
unionists present at the baptism of Audi, explained their satisfaction with the resumption of Audi, but they still harbor concerns about working conditions that are far from being finalized. The new collective agreement mentions in particular a reduction in wage costs by 20% by 2009 in exchange for job guarantees until 2010 and the passage of 36 to 38 hours per week without extra pay. Discussions should be completed by end June
