Machinery industry MAN cuts 2300 jobs in Germany
Truck and bus manufacturer MAN plans to cut around 2300 jobs in Germany. This is to take place over 10 years and in an "absolutely socially responsible manner", according to a spokesperson.
20.11.2025, 12:27
SDA
No redundancies are planned. According to MAN, the main site in Munich with 1,300 jobs, Salzgitter with 600 and Nuremberg with 400 jobs will be affected.
However, IG Metall Bayern expects the figures to be somewhat higher. In the long term, it expects up to 2,000 jobs to be lost in Munich and 500 in Nuremberg. In Salzgitter, the figures are roughly in line with those of MAN. The background to this is that, on the one hand, the union is not basing its figures on the current situation, but on the higher agreements in the future collective agreement still in force, and on the other hand it is also concerned about jobs in research and development, which have been outsourced to the parent company Traton, due to the relocation of production to Poland.
According to IG Metall, the relocations to Poland are taking place in connection with the establishment of a new production facility for parts of a modular system in the Traton Group in Krakow. This is "the central platform" for the Group - at least for medium and heavy trucks.
Adapting to the "weakening truck market"
MAN must adapt to the "persistently weakening truck market in Germany and further improve its cost position", the company explains the planned reduction. High electricity and labor costs and increasing pressure from Asian competitors are having a negative impact. This is also having an impact on returns. "We are now entering a high investment phase and must continue to generate profits in order to expand our product portfolio," said the spokesperson. For commercial vehicle manufacturers in Europe, the transformation with electric trucks is only just beginning.
MAN also said that fewer jobs would be lost as a result of the downsizing than employees retiring. The company will therefore continue to hire people and remain a domestic commercial vehicle manufacturer with around 13,000 employees, said a spokesperson. "All of our production sites in Munich, Nuremberg, Salzgitter and Wittlich will be retained." One billion euros will be invested there over the next five years.
IG Metall is concerned about locations
IG Metall and the Works Council sharply criticize MAN's plans. They "jeopardize the existence of the main Munich plant in the long term," says Sybille Wankel from IG Metall. "Nobody is losing their job today, but in the long term the decision means that the MAN truck of the future will be built in Poland and not in Munich." And if "in future, all parts for a truck will be manufactured in Poland and only transported from there to Munich for assembly, it is obvious that at some point assembly in Munich will also be up for discussion."
General Works Council Chairwoman Karina Schnur also accuses MAN of a lack of serious willingness to negotiate alternatives. "I am appalled by the company's behavior. At no point was the management prepared to seriously discuss alternatives to the relocation plans. This is a slap in the face for the people here in Munich who work hard for their MAN every day."
Trade union threatens escalation
The head of the Bavarian IG Metall union, Horst Ott, announced that he would take MAN management to task. He would strongly recommend that the Executive Board enter into talks. "Escalating this won't help anyone - but they need to know that we are doing it." Ott did not say what exactly this would look like, but emphasized that as IG Metall, "we have the right tool for every problem. Which one we then use depends on the other party."
