Trade Unions Point to Growing Pressure on Employment in Automotive Industry

Trnava, 11 March (TASR) - Restructuring, production optimisation and increasing automation in the automotive industry are also bringing about negative effects in the form of employee lay-offs, chairwoman of the KOVO trade union Maria Benedekova told TASR on Wednesday, adding that the demands on employees are growing and also affecting their qualifications, and if they don't have the necessary skills or the opportunity to retrain, they are more likely to lose their jobs. The KOVO chair assessed the situation in relation to developments in the automotive industry in Slovakia, pointing out that lay-offs aren't only occurring in the aforementioned sector, but also at other industrial companies that are responding to changing economic conditions and technological developments. This is believed to be caused by several factors. "Starting with weaker demand on European markets and continuing with the ongoing transformation of this sector towards electromobility and automation," she stated. Some jobs are gradually disappearing or being replaced by robots due to new technological requirements. "At the same time, the production of older car models is ending, and new projects are often being moved to more modern production centres, often outside our region," she said. According to Benedekova, the greatest risk for workers is losing their jobs. At the same time, automation and new technologies are changing the requirements for worker qualifications. "If employees don't have the opportunity to continuously retrain or upgrade their qualifications, they are more at risk of losing their jobs," she warned. According to the trade unions, it is therefore important for employers to place greater emphasis on training workers and preparing them for new technologies. The willingness of employees to retrain or switch to a different job if the nature of work at the company changes can also help. am/df