In mid-2021, Bosch announced its intention to divest its foundry division (Brake Components product area) and has now reached an agreement with a buyer: As Bosch explained on Monday, the Munich-based industrial group Aequita is planning to purchase the division, which primarily produces brake discs for passenger cars. Corresponding contracts were signed on Friday, the completion of which is subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities.
In addition to Buderus Guss GmbH (Breidenbach and Ludwigshütte sites), this affects Robert Bosch Lollar Guss GmbH in Lollar and therefore a total of around 900 employees, of which around 260 work at the Lollar site.
Bosch foundry in Lollar could be wound up.
Aequita plans to "consolidate the foundry business in Breidenbach by the end of 2026 and invest in energy-efficient and low-emission systems there", according to the press release. Lollar is to "focus on the surface coating of brake discs as a competence and production centre". In Aequita, the company has found a partner "who, with its holistic concept, can lead the product area into the future in an economically sustainable manner". In 2021, Bosch also cited the fact that there were hardly any synergies with other business areas as a reason for the sale plans.
According to Bosch, the new owner is planning "consolidation and investments". Employee representatives now fear massive job cuts: it is planned that fewer than 120 jobs will be retained in Lollar, according to Stefan Sachs, First Authorised Representative of IG Metall Mittelhessen, when asked. The employees at the sites were informed of the plans at a meeting on Monday.
Union is combative
Sachs speaks of a "dirty trick". Bosch had announced several times that a sale was imminent and that now "the cat was out of the bag" after a job security agreement expired at the end of 2023. The announced plans, including the liquidation of the Lollar foundry by the end of 2026, will not be accepted. "We are furious and will fight for every job," he said. "All possible trade union activities are on the table for us." They are not fundamentally against a sale, "but the content is crucial".
The Chairman of the Works Council of Robert Bosch Lollar Guss GmbH, Klaus Fischer, also criticised the announcement. The foundry was only agreed to be spun off in 2015 on the condition that it was "well positioned" and a new moulding plant was purchased, for example, but this did not happen. (Jonas Wissner)
Source: www.giessener-allgemeine.de
