The German carmaker plans to close its Brussels plant due to a global decline in demand for high-end electric cars. But Belgium hopes to save as many of the 1,500 jobs on the line as possible.
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00:00Audi locked the doors of its Brussels plant immediately after announcing 1,500 job cuts
00:08in order to prevent the unions from occupying the site.
00:12The workers demonstrating outside are furious.
00:16It's incomprehensible.
00:19The decision of the management to close directly is strict and brutal.
00:25I've worked here for 36 years.
00:27My wife has worked here.
00:28My son worked here.
00:30My daughter still works here.
00:32Around 3,000 workers have been employed at the Brussels plant.
00:37Unions say they now understand that production will drop from 51,000 cars last year to below
00:4325,000 this year and potentially only 6,000 next year, making the site unviable and meaning
00:51it will likely close by the end of 2025.
00:55We absolutely want that they investigate other possibilities.
01:00We were held calm during months and everyone was telling us, be patient, be patient, something's
01:07coming.
01:08For the moment, there isn't anything.
01:09Demand for the Brussels-made Audi Q8 e-tron has been in freefall since Audi launched a
01:15slightly smaller but technically more advanced Q6 e-tron.
01:21Audi's plans are to manufacture newer models in Mexico.
01:26In a statement, Audi cited long-standing structural challenges at the Brussels site, saying the
01:31plant layout is difficult to change and blamed high logistics costs.
01:37The Belgian prime minister has been holding meetings with Audi's management and sources
01:41close to the talks have told DW that the government is displeased the carmaker publicly announced
01:47the job losses without fully informing it.
01:50The PM also held separate meetings with unions.
01:57The goal above all is to listen to you and to see what this government and the next government
02:01can do together for you.
02:05The workers at Audi in Brussels say their hopes the plant would stay open have now almost
02:10completely faded.