Unrest Erupts at Audi Factory
Police intervened to disperse demonstrations at an Audi plant in Belgium that is shutting down amid ongoing severance negotiations. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Talks on a severance plan for staff at a factory in Brussels that the German carmaker intends to shut down have been disrupted by masked men.
According to Reuters, police were compelled to disperse protesters after riots occurred on Wednesday at Audi's plant in the Belgian capital.
Approximately 150 individuals, some wearing masks, entered a negotiating room during discussions on the severance plan between unions and the factory's management, an Audi spokeswoman informed the agency.
The intruders set off fireworks and blocked participants in the talks from exiting the premises, she added.
Police intervened, forcing the demonstrators to disperse. The spokeswoman noted that one union member sustained minor injuries during the incident.
Footage from the scene depicted officers in full riot gear using batons to push back the demonstrators, who appeared to be employees of the plant.
Earlier this year, Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, declared its intent to cease vehicle production at the Brussels facility by March 2025.
The plant is now on track for closure as the company has been unable to secure new investors, and Volkswagen could not identify any alternative uses for the site.
The impending shutdown places around 3,000 employees and several hundred subcontractors at risk of unemployment.
In September, 5,000 individuals rallied in the streets of Brussels in support of the workers.
An Audi employee expressed concerns to Euronews at the time, stating, “We are literally being eaten up and I do not know if we are in a position to do anything about it.”
The EU’s automotive sector is encountering numerous challenges, including high energy costs and various economic obstacles within the bloc. Additionally, competition from lower-priced Chinese electric vehicles poses further difficulties.
Recently, Volkswagen Group announced plans to close at least three of its plants in Germany and reduce operations at its remaining facilities. This could potentially lead to thousands of job losses and the shutdown or relocation of entire departments abroad.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
According to Reuters, police were compelled to disperse protesters after riots occurred on Wednesday at Audi's plant in the Belgian capital.
Approximately 150 individuals, some wearing masks, entered a negotiating room during discussions on the severance plan between unions and the factory's management, an Audi spokeswoman informed the agency.
The intruders set off fireworks and blocked participants in the talks from exiting the premises, she added.
Police intervened, forcing the demonstrators to disperse. The spokeswoman noted that one union member sustained minor injuries during the incident.
Footage from the scene depicted officers in full riot gear using batons to push back the demonstrators, who appeared to be employees of the plant.
Earlier this year, Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, declared its intent to cease vehicle production at the Brussels facility by March 2025.
The plant is now on track for closure as the company has been unable to secure new investors, and Volkswagen could not identify any alternative uses for the site.
The impending shutdown places around 3,000 employees and several hundred subcontractors at risk of unemployment.
In September, 5,000 individuals rallied in the streets of Brussels in support of the workers.
An Audi employee expressed concerns to Euronews at the time, stating, “We are literally being eaten up and I do not know if we are in a position to do anything about it.”
The EU’s automotive sector is encountering numerous challenges, including high energy costs and various economic obstacles within the bloc. Additionally, competition from lower-priced Chinese electric vehicles poses further difficulties.
Recently, Volkswagen Group announced plans to close at least three of its plants in Germany and reduce operations at its remaining facilities. This could potentially lead to thousands of job losses and the shutdown or relocation of entire departments abroad.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
