Around one hundred trade union members gathered on Thursday morning at the Audi factory in Forest, Brussels, to commemorate the announcement of the Volkswagen factory closure exactly 18 years ago at the same site.
The current labour dispute at the Forest factory with the impending closure of Audi Brussels, is reminiscent of those days. The dispute has left many colleagues now realising the significance of those past events.
The industrial site in Forest has been operational since 1948, originally overseen by Pierre D’Ieteren, a Belgian car importer and distributor. Initially, Studebaker Champion vehicles were produced there. From 1954, Volkswagen Beetles were also assembled. In the 1970s, Volkswagen took full control of the factory.
Around the turn of the century, Volkswagen Forest’s car production became increasingly precarious. In 2006, Volkswagen decided to concentrate Golf and Polo production in its German plants in Wolfsburg and Zwickau, and Audi took over the factory in 2007.
"This symbolic commemoration is important to unite the former Volkswagen workers with the current Audi employees," said union representative Jan Baetens (ACV), one of the organisers. With this commemoration, the unions also want to send a message to Audi’s management to "conclude this significant part of Belgian history serenely."
The union official noted many similarities with the upcoming factory closure scheduled for 28 February 2025. "The significant difference today is that workers no longer hope to be employed after the closure."
Previously, workers transitioned from Volkswagen to Audi, although those who stayed had to accept a 20% wage reduction.
