Management at Audi Brussels rejected the unions' counter-proposal to the redundancy plan soon after it was presented on Wednesday.
Earlier this morning, around 200 workers gathered at the Forest plant, due to close next year, to support the union representatives meeting with management.
In October, management proposed its first social plan, which included a closure bonus. This led to a brief spontaneous strike due to union disappointment. Management rejected the unions' counter-proposal but presented a new social plan last Wednesday, which was better received.
During today's meeting, the unions presented a new proposal that makes no distinction between manual workers and other employees, according to the union CNE Industrie. This identical approach would be applied to workers who have worked at Audi Forest for more than 10 years.
"We are seeking compensation for the loss of workers' income over the next two years, given that production was initially promised until 2027," said Jan Baetens of the union ACV-CSC Metea.
According to the CNE, the management decided to reject the counter-proposal on Wednesday afternoon "without analysing it." This prompted workers to enter the meeting room "peacefully" to express their dissatisfaction.
Negotiations resumed, and management made a "new and higher proposal," according to the unions. The latest offer will now be analysed.
