German commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus has announced plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 2,300 positions over the next decade. The move comes as a response to declining demand within its home truck market and increasing cost pressures. According to a company spokesperson quoted in German news agency DPA, these job cuts will be achieved without redundancies through gradual retirements.
The majority of the reductions are expected at MAN’s Munich site with around 1,300 positions planned for elimination, followed by Salzgitter losing approximately 600 roles. The Nuremberg facility is also set to see a reduction of roughly 400 jobs. Speaking on behalf of the company, the spokesperson stated that they must adapt to the sustained weakness in the truck market and address high energy and labor costs alongside rising competition from Asian manufacturers.
MAN Truck & Bus aims to enter a phase of significant investment aimed at generating sustainable profits for expanding its product portfolio. However, IG Metall – one of Germany’s leading metalworkers’ unions – expressed concerns about the long-term viability of MAN’s Munich plant due to plans by Volkswagen’s Traton Group (parent company) to move production to a new facility in Poland.
IG Metall representative Sybille Wankel argued that producing trucks in Poland and merely assembling them in Munich would eventually lead to questioning the continuation of assembly work at the German site. Meanwhile, fellow premium brand Audi also intends to cut 7,500 jobs by 2029 as part of its broader strategy to secure competitiveness and technological advancements for its future.
