At Porsche's main plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, many temporary production workers will find themselves in search of fresh employment opportunities come the new year. As Harald Buck, Works Council head, shared with the German Press Agency, approximately 600 fixed-term contracts set to expire over the course of 2023, won't be renewed, with the first wave of departures beginning in January. Negotiations with upper management are underway in hopes of extending some temporary workers' tenures permanently, but with a slim chance of every colleague maintaining their temporary positions.
Porsche AG has seen its workforce nearly double over the past decade, growing to 24,700 employees in total, including 2,400 on temporary contracts. This catch-up stems from demographic changes seen in recent years, such as numerous retirements, resulting in an overabundance of permanent hires. In 2021, 2022, and 2023, the company employed a total of 1,255 temporary workers, with 1,115 in production alone. As the company has reached a steady state, fixed-term contracts will begin to expire on a larger scale in 2024.
It's worth noting that Porsche does not employ temporary employees in production, but issues fixed-term contracts with perks and benefits akin to permanent roles. Temporary workers would not reap these benefits.
As for the future of Porsche's site, Buck confirmed that it would remain operational until mid-2030. Significant investments are being poured into the plant, particularly in the expansion of the body shop and the creation of additional logistics space. In fact, the new Boxster, powered by electric propulsion, will be assembled at Zuffenhausen, with the last combustion-engine Boxsters having just rolled off the production line at VW's plant in Osnabrück.
Sources:
- Various economic and operational challenges leading to job reductions and a shift to combustion engines, as well as options for temporary employees to secure their positions or transition into permanent roles.
