Chaos in Germany

[OFSO]

Hamburg railway station partially closed after two arriving passengers on the ICE from FfaM showed signs of the Marburg virus. They had been in Rwanda.

[OFSO]

It was with Teutonic understatement that Robert Habeck noted economic conditions were “not satisfactory”. Germany’s economy minister was speaking on October 9th, just after official forecasts for the year had been revised from growth of 0.3% to a contraction of 0.2%. This would follow a 0.3% decline in output last year, meaning that Germany faces its first two-year recession in more than two decades.

[Groundgripper]

Bit of an oops here:

A multi-million euro fire station in western Germany has burned down, along with 10 fire engines on the site – because it didn’t have any fire alarms installed.

The new fire station, in Stadtallendorf, was hailed by Oberhessische Presse, the town’s local newspaper, as a “modern, state-of-the-art” building when it opened last year.

But months later, Stadtallendorf firefighters, and others in the region, found themselves in the embarrassing situation of trying to put out a blaze at their own premises.

According to Oberhessische Presse, the fire station had not been fitted with fire alarms when it was constructed.

This was apparently because of it being classified as an equipment storage location, which does not legally require the installation of fire alarms.
The fire at Stadtallendorf station has caused estimated damage of 20 million euros

“It is a nightmare for a firefighter. No one wants to have to extinguish his own fire station,” Lars Schafer, the district fire inspector, told reporters after firefighters failed to bring the blaze under control.

The fire has caused estimated damage of 20 million euros (£16 million), including the loss of 10 fire engines.

Some 170 firefighters, including local volunteers, were brought in to tackle the blaze, which involved flames that climbed as high as 10 metres, according to witnesses.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the fire, but local reports suggested it could have been a malfunctioning battery charger.

A spokesman for the local authorities said the centre had at least been fitted with a fire protection wall, which stopped the blaze from spreading to other buildings.

According to The Guardian, Mr Schafer said the station had to be built as quickly as possible for “local morale” which could explain the absence of fire alarms.

The Hesse State Fire Brigade Association has called for an urgent review of the building regulations that allowed the station to be built without fire alarms. Discussions are also being held on whether a replacement fire station should also have alarms installed, Mr Schafer added.

GG

[OFSO]

When I lived in Darmstadt (also in Hessen) they built a new incinerator plant. 1980's ? Sadly the insulation around the combustion chamber was rated at a lower temperature than the combustion process and was also flammable. Within a month the inevitable happened and the new building was burned to the ground.

[PHXPhlyer]

"There's never time to do it right but always time to do it over."

PP

[Hydromet]

Years ago a fire station not far from us burned down when a petrol tanker rolled and went into it, then caught fire. It was never rebuilt; the sold the block and a service station was built there. It's gone now and there's a block of units there.

[PHXPhlyer]

Historic moment for Volkswagen: Automaker plans to close ‘at least’ 3 German plants and cut thousands of jobs

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/28/business ... index.html

Volkswagen plans to close “at least” three factories in Germany, lay off tens of thousands of staff and downsize remaining plants in the country, the company’s employee group said Monday.

The domestic factory closures would be the first in Volkswagen’s 87-year history, and they lay bare the challenges facing Germany’s largest manufacturer. The plans are already facing pushback from labor unions in the country, where Volkswagen employs 295,000 people, setting the stage for possible strikes in the coming weeks.

Volkswagen has been locked in negotiations with unions for weeks over its plans to cut costs and restructure business operations.

“If VW confirms its dystopian path on Wednesday, the board must expect the corresponding consequences on our part,” Thorsten Groeger, lead negotiator for one of Germany’s most powerful unions, IG Metall said in a statement Monday.

While a potential strike is only possible starting December 1, in terms of an agreement between the union and Volkswagen, IG Metall told CNN that “tens of thousands” of workers are “ready to express their dissatisfaction with management.”

In its statement Monday, Volkswagen’s works council, which represents employees and holds half the seats on the company’s board, said that the planned cuts — which include slashing all workers’ pay by 10% — were deeper than expected and “of historic dimensions.”

“All German VW plants are affected by this. None of them are safe,” works council chairperson Daniela Cavallo added. She said that Volkswagen planned to move some production abroad or outsource it to other companies and warned workers against dismissing its proposals as simply a negotiating tactic.

“This is the plan of Germany’s largest industrial group to start the sell-off in its home country,” Cavallo noted.

Volkswagen, one of the world’s biggest carmakers, has warned that it needs a radical overhaul as the group faces growing competition in China and slowing sales elsewhere. According to executives, the automaker is selling 500,000 fewer cars in Europe a year compared with pre-pandemic levels, the equivalent of around two car plants.

Volkswagen reiterated these sentiments in a statement Monday. “The fact is: the situation is serious,” human resources board member Gunnar Kilian said. “Without comprehensive measures to regain competitiveness, we will not be able to afford essential future investments.”

Thomas Schaefer, the CEO of Volkswagen passenger cars, added that its German factories were not productive enough and that plant costs were as much as 50% above what the company had budgeted for, making individual plants twice as expensive as the competition.

“In addition, we at Volkswagen still handle many tasks internally that the competition has already outsourced more cost-effectively,” he said.

Labor costs were also “significantly too high,” Volkswagen said, adding that it would make “concrete proposals” for reducing these when it resumes talks with labor unions on Wednesday.

The company did not respond to a CNN request seeking clarity on the factory closures and job cuts. It has previously said that it would seek to terminate an employment protection agreement with labor unions, which has been in place since 1994, to “future proof” the business.

PP

[llondel]

That will be fun. Germany has trouble downsizing even when the alternatives are downsize or close down. Having been on the receiving end of downsizing, it is definitely not nice, but there's no point in sticking around if it means the whole place shuts down due to being unprofitable.

[Rwy in Sight]

I am trying to understand how German methodical approach failed to forecast that "plant costs were as much as 50% above what the company had budgeted for, making individual plants twice as expensive as the competition".

[OFSO]

What would that "methodical approach" be I wonder ? I never saw signs of it during my tenure 1968-1993. In the area where I worked, the most successful companies such as Merk, Opel, Marley Tiles, Goldwelle - all had R&D departments staffed by English nationals. The saying then was that "a British Officer commanding German soldiers could conquer the world."

[llondel]

What would that "methodical approach" be I wonder ? I never saw signs of it during my tenure 1968-1993. In the area where I worked, the most successful companies such as Merk, Opel, Marley Tiles, Goldwelle - all had R&D departments staffed by English nationals. The saying then was that "a British Officer commanding German soldiers could conquer the world."

Well, they pretty much did it when commanding British soldiers.

[OFSO]

Volkswagen is planning to shut at least three factories in Germany and lay off tens of thousands of staff.

Its remaining plants in Germany are also set to be downsized, according to the head of the company's works council Daniela Cavallo.

The German firm employs about 300,000 people in its home country and operates 10 plants, but has said a major restructuring is needed.

[k3k3]

And those who are not laid off will have their wages cut by 10%.

[John Hill]

I trust the board members will all get performance bonuses!

[bob2s]

I trust the board members will all get performance bonuses!

And why not, when it seems to be how these things work even in Australia?
Example
The new boss of Australia Post who has only been in the job for less than 6 months was given a $ 1,000,000 bonus, his achievement so far,
1 Increase the price of a stamp by 30 cents to $1.50 2 Mail now only delivered every secod day 3 Closed 175 Post Offices.

One wonders why they only gave him a meazly 1 Million.

[John Hill]

Those kangabux are just going down in value!

[OFSO]

Audi closing their Belgian production factory next spring.

[Groundgripper]

Volkswagen is planning to shut at least three factories in Germany and lay off tens of thousands of staff.

Maybe they should concentrate on their best-selling product - currywurst.

GG

[OFSO]

Today's Financial Times reports German workers have at twenty days a year average, the highest rate of sick leave (6..8%) in the list of civilised countries, and 'far higher' than in the UK (2.6%).

[OFSO]

Spectator article today:

"how Germany became the sick man of Europe"
4 November 2024, 2:07pm