Audi CEO Blasted Over Trump Rally, USD4B US Plant
IG Metall accused Gernot Doellner of wading into partisan politics and unveiling a US factory at a moment when German employees are anxious about possible plant closures at home.
“The way Gernot Doellner presented himself and Audi in the US is highly embarrassing and politically unacceptable,” Christiane Benner, IG Metall’s first chairwoman, said in a statement. She added that his appearance did a disservice to the company and, above all, to the workers who build its cars.
The uproar traces back to Saturday, when Trump used a campaign event in Perry, Georgia, to spring the news that a new Audi plant would be built in the state. Doellner then walked on stage and thanked the president for his backing. The project is slated to bring a $4 billion (€3.6 billion) investment and roughly 4,500 jobs.
Benner charged that the CEO’s presence at a US campaign event flagrantly breached Audi’s own rules, which explicitly demand political neutrality ahead of elections.
She also took aim at the rushed announcement, stressing that no final decision to build a new factory can be made without sign-off from the relevant bodies, including the supervisory board of Volkswagen AG.
“For months, our employee representatives have been demanding job security for the German sites, alongside a clear North America strategy from Volkswagen and Audi,” she said.
“Our primary focus remains, at all times, on ensuring secure employment prospects for our colleagues at all of our local plants. This will continue to shape future discussions and decisions within the company’s governing bodies,” Benner added.
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