A "crisis unit" created to work on issues surrounding the closure of Audi Forest met for the first time on Wednesday to discuss a plan to help workers at the site find new jobs.
The unit has been set up to help support workers at the Audi Brussels factory in Forest, which seems likely to close. It brings together the Ministers of Employment and Training, the employment and training bodies (the Flemish VDAB, the Walloon Forem and Actiris in Brussels), the Federal Labour Minister and the national employment office (Onem).
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.
By September, the Volkswagen Group (which owns Audi) confirmed that it doesn't plan to produce any car models at its Forest site. Audi Brussels says it can find no other economically viable use for the plant.
There were hopes that a buyer would be able to rescue jobs at the plant and prevent closure. But while one unnamed investor did come forward with an offer, Audi Brussels management deemed that their plan for the site was not viable.
Brussels region Minister for Work Bernard Clerfayt pictured during a press conference after the Audi Brussels crisis team meeting, Wednesday 23 October 2024 in Brussels. Credit: Belga / James Arthur Gekiere
'First step' to help workers
The Audi crisis unit met for the first time on Wednesday to discuss the social emergency plan for workers, Belga News Agency reported. The unit is now waiting for the end of negotiations between the unions and the manufacturer's management, before launching the retraining process.
"This is a first step," said Brussels Employment Minister Bernard Clerfayt.
The partners have agreed on a protocol that sets out how employees who lose their jobs at Audi Brussels will be supported. The unit will be able to activate support depending on the profile of the employee, offering retraining or job offers with the same protocols across the three regions.
"There is a strong demand for industrial jobs in Belgium and the Brussels Region," said Minister Clerfayt. "Actiris has already counted 6,000 offers in industry so I'm confident that we can quickly retrain these workers to offer them a professional future."
The mass redundancies affect some 3,000 people, including around 1,200 in Wallonia (the vast majority in Hainaut), 1,200 in Flanders and almost 400 in Brussels. Hundreds of subcontractors affected by the closure of Audi Brussels will also be helped to find new jobs.
