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Alarm mood in Lüchow: Musashi is threatening massive job losses!
Musashi is planning massive job cuts in Lower Saxony, while IG Metall and the works council are struggling to find solutions.
Alarm mood in Lüchow: Musashi is threatening massive job losses!
Things are simmering in Lüchow: The automotive supplier Musashi has announced massive staff cuts and the closure of two plants in Lower Saxony and Thuringia in the summer of 2025. Not only the locations in Hannoversch Münden and Leinefelde are affected, but also the almost 300 jobs at the Lüchow plant. According to [ndr.de](https://www.ndr.de/ Fernsehenen/versanden/panorama3/meldeen/autozulieferer-musashi-schlichtung-bislang-ohne-success,automobilzulieferer-100.html), the mood among employees is tense and unsettled, which only illustrates the concerns of an employee like Florian Schulze.
Musashi justifies the upcoming closures with the challenges the automotive industry is currently experiencing. The pressure from Asian competition and the electrification of car drives made it necessary to reduce the number of employees. Although the Lüchow plant did not make any losses last year, management sees little other option to remain competitive. Since 2018, production volumes in Lüchow have fallen by around 30%, which is incomprehensible to the works councils.
Dispute over the collective agreement
A collective agreement was concluded between Musashi and IG Metall three years ago, which envisaged possible job losses. Nevertheless, Musashi has now activated a “cancerous weather clause” to challenge the severance pay stipulated in the collective agreement. IG Metall strongly criticizes this approach because it is seen as an attempt to get rid of employees cheaply. According to igmetall-bad-kreuznach.de, management has come under pressure to do something to reduce costs while ignoring the consequences for the workforce.
Protests have also been organized at various locations in the last few days, and IG Metall has already announced strikes if the ongoing arbitration negotiations fail to bring about an agreement. The first round of arbitration ended on December 2nd without a result, and another date is already planned for December 6th, 2025.
The situation of the automotive industry
The current conflict at Musashi reflects a larger problem in the automotive industry, which has seen a steady decline in employment since 2019. According to the VDA, the number of employees in the industry was around 772,900 in 2024, which means a decrease of 1 percent compared to the previous year. The supplier industry in particular is suffering: While the manufacturers of car bodies and bodies were able to record a slight increase, the group of manufacturers of parts for motor vehicles and engines suffered a decline of 2 percent, which further increases the uncertainty of the employees at Musashi.
Lower Saxony's Economics Minister Grant Hendrik Tonne (SPD) hopes that a solution will be found that does justice to all sides. The coming days could be crucial for the future of the affected workforce.