They currently produce 1,000 passenger car transmissions per day. But in the coming months, the former GM factory in Vienna-Aspern will close because owner Stellantis (Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat) no longer needs the gearboxes. The last 300 employees will lose their jobs as a result.
The culprit is the trend towards electric cars, which Stellantis, like other car companies, relies on. You no longer need mechanical equipment and the factory in Vienna is therefore superfluous.
According to Stellantis, the conditions for a sustainable future for the plant are no longer given. “That is why production will be phased out in the coming months. The exact date will be determined in consultation with the works council. In the coming weeks, a comprehensive social plan will also be drawn up for the approximately 300 employees,” confirms company spokesperson Christoph Stummvoll.
For example, an employment office will be offered to help with the search for a new job or with retraining. There are also options for some of those affected to remain in the group. The huge company building in Aspern belongs to the Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft, which is now discussing the further use of the building.
The final end of the former industry icon has long been in the offing. In 1979, the then chancellor, Bruno Kreisky, brought General Motors to Austria, dreaming of a new Austrian car production – keyword “Austro-Porsche”.
As early as 2020, the once booming production of smaller gasoline engines was halted when contracts with previous owner GM expired. At its peak, around 3,000 employees produced drives and production was even expanded in 2010, when 408,000 engines and 653,000 gearboxes rolled off the line. However, the workforce has already shrunk several times. Coming to zero…
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
