The expected closure of an Audi car production site in Brussels brought thousands of workers to the streets on Monday, September 16. The immediate reason for the demonstration was Audi’s plan to eliminate approximately 3,000 jobs in Belgium, but trade unions warned that the issue goes far deeper—calling attention to the European Union’s (EU) industrialization strategy failures.
Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, recently announced plans to scale down operations in Europe. This includes backing out of existing social contracts, which undermines job security across the automotive sector. Despite the intention to reduce the number of jobs and employment security, Volkswagen paid out record dividends in 2023—totaling 12 billion euros—according to a statement by the Workers Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA).
Trade unions and left political parties have called on both industry giants and EU institutions to ensure that the burden of such industrial shifts isn’t placed on workers. “The record dividends for shareholders should be the adjustment variable, not workers’ jobs,” said Robin Tonniau of the PTB-PVDA, a former employee at the Audi Brussels plant.
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Judith Kirton-Darling, General Secretary of IndustriAll Europe, echoed this sentiment, warning that the European automotive industry will have no future if it prioritizes corporate greed over a proactive industrial strategy. Between 2019 and 2023, approximately 850,000 jobs in manufacturing were lost in Europe as a consequence of a lack of coherent regional industrial policy, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reported.
Trade unionists have stressed that the problem goes beyond job losses, extending to the long-term feasibility of the EU’s industrial plans. “Each factory closure not only represents job losses but also wastes significant investment and valuable know-how,” Tonniau stated. In response, PTB-PVDA has called for a moratorium on car assembly plant closures in Belgium until an effective industrial strategy can be developed.
Some trade unionists and analysts have argued that the current EU industrial policy is more focused on limiting the entry of Chinese electric vehicles into the European market than on fostering industries that reflect local needs and provide stable, high-quality jobs for everyone. Trade unions insist that developing a robust industrial strategy for Europe is urgent and vital to safeguarding the region’s future.
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In response to the crisis, workers’ organizations have demanded the creation of a dedicated task force to address these challenges at the EU level, with workers’ representatives playing a central role. They insist that increased investment and putting an end to austerity are the only viable solutions. However, given European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s history of cutting social protections and undermining job quality, skepticism abound about whether trade union calls for action will be heeded.
