Overview

• The ZF supervisory board deferred a final verdict on its central drivetrain Division E and adopted an Eckpunktepapier requiring a joint competitiveness and employment alliance to propose concrete measures by September.
• Management reaffirmed its target to cut up to 14,000 jobs in Germany by 2028 as part of efforts to offset a €1 billion loss in 2024 and reduce over €10 billion in debt.
• The newly agreed “Alliance for Competitiveness and Job Security” will focus on restoring Division E’s profitability at key German sites including Saarbrücken and Schweinfurt.
• On July 29, nationwide protests drew thousands of employees to ZF facilities, with about 6,000 in Friedrichshafen, 4,500 in Schweinfurt and between 1,000 and 2,000 in Saarbrücken voicing strong opposition.
• IG Metall cautioned that if talks under the new timetable fail to protect domestic jobs and production, it could escalate into a major conflict with further industrial action.