Production is at a standstill at the Audi Brussels factory in Forest, as a subcontractor strike means the plant is not receiving the parts it needs to assemble vehicles.
It has been confirmed that the production site will close its doors for good in February 2025, as around 3,000 workers are facing redundancy next year.
While the initial plan was for the German carmaker to continue assembling Audi Q8 e-tron models at the Forest plant until the closing date, a subcontractor strike has resulted in production grinding to a halt this week.
Strike holding up parts deliveries
The halt in production is due to an ongoing strike at Imperial Logistics, which is currently not delivering parts to Audi Brussels. While production resumed at a slow pace on Monday, it stopped fully again on Tuesday.
Audi Brussels spokesperson Peter D'Hoore has confirmed that no cars will roll off the production lines on Wednesday.
Unions have said that Imperial Logistics is the only Audi Brussels subcontractor for which a social plan has not been signed off, as almost 300 workers are striking for certainty about their redundancy terms.
No viable future for site
In July, Audi Brussels announced plans to restructure its site in Forest which currently employs around 3,000 people. The German carmaker cited a slowdown in demand for the electric Q8 e-tron models produced in Brussels.
In addition to the factory workers directly employed by Audi, more than 1,000 people are employed by Audi Brussels' various subcontractors.
By September, the Volkswagen Group (which owns Audi) confirmed that it wasn't planning to produce any car models at its Forest site. Audi Brussels says it can find no other use for the plant.
There were hopes that a buyer would step in to rescue jobs and prevent the site's closure. One unnamed investor did come forward with an offer, but Audi Brussels deemed their plan to be unviable.
Management has said that it plans to finalise the information and consultation process, within the framework of the Renault Act, at the next extraordinary works council meeting scheduled for 12 November.
