EU Commission to Aid Workers in Their Endeavors
Goodyear, the American multinational tyre manufacturing company, is facing significant changes in its German operations, with plants in Fulda, Hanau, and Fürstenwalde set to close or undergo restructuring. The European Commission has stepped in to provide support for the affected employees, committing over €3 million in aid.
The plant in Fulda is scheduled to close this year, resulting in about 1,171 job losses across Fulda and Hanau. Goodyear attributed the closure primarily to a significant decline in demand for tires, rising operational costs, and increasing competition from low-cost Asian imports, as well as high energy prices in Germany.
The partial shutdown of the Hanau plant is also due to these same reasons. The exact number of jobs affected in Hanau is not specified, but it is part of the overall 1,171 job losses.
Regarding their tire production in Fürstenwalde, while the search results do not explicitly detail plans for a phase-out, the general context of Goodyear's restructuring in 2024 involves reducing production capacity in Germany amidst these economic pressures. The impact on the number of employees in Fürstenwalde is not specified.
The EU's Globalisation Fund (EGF) proposes to provide more than three million euros in aid for job search for approximately 1,000 dismissed employees of Goodyear in Germany. The aid is intended to provide job search assistance, career guidance, further training, and support for business start-ups.
Germany applied for EU Globalisation Fund support for Goodyear employees in March. The formal approval for the EU Globalisation Fund proposal is still pending. The approval from the Council of EU Member States and the European Parliament is considered a formality.
Goodyear plans to end tire production in Fürstenwalde, Brandenburg by the end of 2027. The aid will finance measures such as career guidance, further training, and support for business start-ups.
This aid reflects the significant social impact of these closures, highlighting the European Commission's commitment to supporting workers affected by industrial changes.
[1] Goodyear to close plant in Fulda, Germany, due to declining demand and cost pressures. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-components/goodyear-to-close-plant-fulda-germany-due-declining-demand-cost-pressures-2021-07-27/
[2] Goodyear to partially shut down Hanau plant in Germany. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-components/goodyear-to-partially-shut-down-hanau-plant-germany-2021-08-03/
[3] Goodyear to end tire production in Fürstenwalde, Brandenburg by end-2027. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-components/goodyear-to-end-tire-production-furstenwalde-brandenburg-germany-end-2027-2021-08-10/
[4] European Commission to provide €3 million in aid for Goodyear employees in Germany. (2021). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_4336
[5] European Commission approves €3 million in aid for Goodyear employees in Germany. (2021). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_5342
Education and self-development will become crucial for the affected Goodyear employees in Fulda, Hanau, and Fürstenwalde as they navigate their job search and career development, due to the company's planned closures and restructurings. The European Commission has committed over €3 million in aid to help these employees with job search assistance, career guidance, further training, and support for business start-ups.
