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Audi Brussels factory set to close in 2025
The Audi factory in Brussels will close at the end of February next year, according to an announcement following an extraordinary works council meeting this week.
The closure has seemed inevitable for some time now – especially in the wake of an announcement earlier this year that Audi was planning a restructuring for its Brussels operations – but is finally official.
No redundancies are planned before the end of the year but management aims to finalise the information and consultation process at another works council meeting scheduled for 12 November.
In a joint press release, unions said they were holding out hope for a new use for the factory and its almost 3,000 employees and want to set up a working group comprising union representatives, Audi management, representatives of the government taskforce and experts.
Alongside negotiations on the social plan, the workers’ representatives want to explore projects that could coexist in the context of the circular economy.
Until the last Audi Q8 e-tron rolls off the assembly line on 28 February 2025, the plant will continue to operate with two shifts.
The Forest factory has struggled in the face of low demand for this model, management said, with high labour costs and a difficult location likewise contributing to the grim financial outlook.
Audi Brussels indicated that it was in contact with a potential investor for the plant, one active in the commercial vehicle sector. This is a different investor from the one who was given extra time to present a project proposal a few weeks ago.
“It's still too early, but we want to put all the chances on our side,” said ACV union spokesman Ronny Liedts.
There are no details yet on the number of workers who could be taken on if the deal goes through.