The expected tariff cost is significantly lower than the $4 billion to $5 billion crosstown rival General Motors estimates which Ford attributes to its higher mix of U.S.-built vehicles Tiffany Fields Ketchum and two stepchildren Giuseppina Alexandria Bartlett and three brothers Germany where he was placed in an Orphanage along with his five other biological siblings Franco was just five years old the day they left the orphanage He had never seen or heard a radio before until he sat in his dad’s car The song that was playing on that radio was John Denver’s- Take me home He was so grateful for his new family and the roads that shaped him into the Man we all know and love today He will be missed greatly by all who knew and loved him A celebration of his life will be held at Rogers and Breece Funeral Home His viewing will begin at 3 PM and his Memorial Service will begin at 4 PM donations or memorials may be sent to Tiffany Ketchum at 2715 Breezewood Ave Steve Eubanks is a New York Times bestselling author and historian for the LPGA Over 25,000 Bosch employees protested across Germany last week against the planned massive job cuts at the company More than 10,000 gathered outside the company headquarters in Gerlingen near Stuttgart Workers from the neighbouring Mercedes-Benz plants in Untertürkheim and Sindelfingen as well as from Mahle and other companies also soldarized with their colleagues at Bosch and joined the protest It was the largest protest at Bosch in thirty years and is an expression of the growing anger of hundreds of thousands of workers in the automotive and supplier industry who fear for their jobs Further protests with some 15,000 total participants took place in Ansbach The World Socialist Web Site spoke to several workers who are worried about their jobs They were thoughtful and angry and had come to the rally to express their opposition used whistles and flags to ensure the protest remained loud and superficial Chairman of the General Works Council of the Mobility business sector and Deputy Chairman of the Bosch Supervisory Board claimed that management were refusing to even talk to the union “We are still at the very beginning of the transformation [to EVs] If this is the direction we are heading in things look bleak for the next few years,” he said The protests were triggered by the drip feed of announcements from Bosch management that more than 3,500 workers would be made redundant at several plants across the country 4,000 employees across the group had already lost their jobs which has already agreed to the redundancies had called for a protest in order to defuse the growing resistance in the plants IG-Metall plays a leading role in implementing the transformation process from internal combustion engines to EVs in the interests of the corporations It helps to organise the destruction of jobs in order to maximise company profits IG-Metall announced that following “difficult” negotiations it had agreed a collective agreement that excluded “compulsory redundancies” for 80,000 employees in the mobility sector until the end of 2027 “Employees are helping to shape the future at Bosch Mobility,” rejoiced the union at the time The agreement was reached after long protests by workers against the reorganisation plans drawn up by management and IG-Metall Although the details of the agreed concessions were kept secret by the union it laid the foundation for the announcement of a new wave of redundancies in January 2024 The formula “no compulsory redundancies” is always used as a fig leaf to mislead workers and implement management’s hidden plans with the help of the trade unions commented on the future collective agreement at the time with the words: “It’s actually quite simple I think that without the agreements that have now been reached there would have been more and more protests and resentment among employees And Bosch cannot afford that in the company’s most important division.” Works Council Chairman Frank Sell announced that the future collective agreement not only guarantees jobs: “More importantly the works council representatives will now also be involved in strategic and economic planning at an early stage for example with regard to the location of future products and the development of objectives we are shaping the future of the German mobility production locations beyond 2027.” The global market for EVs is not developing as expected With the exception of luxury models at exorbitant prices the automotive industry continues to mainly produce vehicles with combustion engines Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung recently said that the company would continue to manufacture products for combustion engines until at least 2060 Despite the company’s commitment to electromobility “we must continue to provide combustion engine technology in Germany otherwise the world will not be able to cope with it.” The automotive and supplier industry sees the move to EVs as an opportunity for mass redundancies and the dismantling of gains for which workers have fought for generations The Bosch Group employs 133,800 people in Germany and 427,600 worldwide As one of the leading international technology companies Bosch has 468 production facilities and offices in 60 countries the company has increased its sales by 8 percent to €91.6 billion and thus increased its operating profit from €3.8 billion to €4.6 billion Chief Financial Officer Markus Forschner reacted to the results with the words: “The headwind remains which is why we will only achieve our target return with a delay.” The target return is 7 percent In an interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung made clear that the company was planning further mass redundancies As the company was pursuing a long-term perspective it would take years to adapt to developments It may not be possible to achieve this goal with the announced staff reductions in which case a solution would be found with the employee representatives but rather the orders of magnitude that we consider necessary in order to close the competitive gap it’s about permanent cost reduction and increasing competitiveness and not about headcounts.” recalling the social commitments of company founder Robert Bosch We need you now!” Such a demand is either naive or fuels illusions In the midst of the global capitalist crisis in which the imperialist powers are risking a nuclear world war to secure raw materials and markets workers cannot expect social commitments from the employers Bosch was a right-wing social democrat and capitalist In response to a strike at the Bosch metalworks in Feuerbach he closed the plant in March 1913 and sacked 3,700 workers Today’s Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung also refers to the company founder: “No sacrifice should be spared for a powerful development of the company into the future; the founder gave us this conviction in addition to his social convictions.” What the workers at Bosch and elsewhere need is to break out of the trade union straitjacket and form independent rank-and-file action committees to fight for their demands If IG Metall and the works council now claim they were “surprised” by the new cutback plans Bosch Labour Director Stefan Grosch confirmed to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that they were in close contact with the management: “We have been in constant talks since the summer and are adhering to all agreements.” The union and works council representatives are not concerned with the fate of the workers and their families They want the company to involve them even more in the planning and implementation of the “transformation.” At the rally they literally begged company management to rely on them District Manager of IG Metall Baden-Württemberg called on the Bosch Executive Board to “talk to us about the future of the German sites We expect joint answers and efforts to shape the future together.” The IG Metall website states that the transformation to EV production must be “shaped together with the employees [meaning the union] not against them— according to the guiding principle: ‘You don’t build the future alone workers expressed scepticism about the future development of the company who are in their second year of training as mechatronics engineers said they would not be taken on after their apprenticeship Fifty-five others with a similar apprenticeship would not be taken on either Now it was uncertain how their professional lives would develop after signing the future collective agreement He believes they are the first victims of this agreement which was trumpeted as a “success” for the employees who works at Mercedes Benz in Untertürkheim his mother had worked at Bosch for 40 years the situation for workers at Bosch was very difficult and he wanted to express his solidarity: “We are all facing similar difficulties and uncertainties it is unpredictable what will happen next month There is always a tense atmosphere in the department where I work.” reported that he initially thought things were different at Bosch because it was a foundation and not a public limited company He said he knew that industry and companies were profit-orientated but in recent years the profit motive seems to have gained the upper hand at Bosch Many of his fellow workers had lost or would lose their jobs Concerns are high among the 6,000-strong workforce and nobody knew what will happen Oliver has worked at Bosch Waiblingen for more than 35 years He was a member of IG Metall in the early years but was not attending the protest as a representative of union He said he did not want to talk about IG Metall Although no redundancies were currently planned in his company his presence here was necessary to support his colleagues He had taken leave and organised his own travel While hundreds of workers will lose their jobs as Sandoz attempts to bring down manufacturing costs the company has committed to maintaining a presence in both Germany and India production of generic oral solids (such as ibuprofen) and antibiotics (such as generic omeprazole) will move to Barleben while some manufacturing will move to Strykow Indian manufacturing will move from Turbhe Some manufacturing will go to Austria as well with a 30% year-over-year increase from Q2 2014—to $423 million in income The company is moving full steam ahead as it prepares to launch Zarxio (a biosimlar version of Amgen's Neupogen) in September Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts More than three-quarters of private biotech investment tracked by BioPharma Dive between January and March was distributed via rounds worth at least $100 million which experts believe reflects a strategic shift Marks’ resignation leaves the field without a regulator many view as “integral” to its progress over the last decade The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines the paragons of thrift are doing what they do best use credit cards rarely and save up to a third of a property's value before applying for a mortgage The schwäbische Hausfrau – southern Germany's thrifty Swabian housewife – is frequently invoked by Angela Merkel. The German chancellor argues that Europe has been living beyond its means and can learn from these women's frugal housekeeping and balanced budgeting "A housewife keeps the family together and the money," says Maier People never used to live beyond their means here," she adds before noting that the younger generation are more cavalier She and her friend only use credit cards when they go on holiday and make sure they have enough money in their accounts to pay off the debt immediately Both believe that "southern Europeans are a different breed The two women say that they only tend to buy what they really need (with the exception of a flatscreen TV) Even a wardrobe counts as a luxury purchase – because Swabians don't buy cheap which means a wardrobe has to be solid wood the two women buy their food at the butcher's rather than at discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl "The quality is better," says Maier "and you can buy two carrots rather than a whole kilogramme." She never throws anything away – old bread is made into bread dumplings Many people in this rural area grow their own fruit and vegetables This outlook is informed by a national psyche profoundly shaped by the experience of the Weimar republic's debt mountain and hyperinflation in the 1920s when people pushed carts overflowing with banknotes through the streets You won't find any luxury boutiques in Gerlingen its 20,000 inhabitants have more purchasing power – an estimated €500m (£400m) a year – than any other town in Baden-Württemberg Compare that with Munich's Theatinerstrasse which is lined with international brands such as Dolce & Gabbana "Bavarians live the baroque life," says Angela Schmid head of the German housewife association's Württemberg branch "Swabians do buy luxury clothes and other goods You might see a Swabian housewife enter a luxury boutique who is dressed like her cleaner You won't see amazing hats in the street either or jewellery – people only show them to each other in private." Swabians even have an expression for this – hälinge reich says that when Swabians do splash out on something like a fur coat "Not outside – so you don't see it." used to wear a thick loden coat with an inside fur lining: "a typical Swabian" the children wore clothes that had been mended Sickinger says: "You learn how to save from the rich." Gerlingen is wealthy because many Bosch managers live there – the company has its headquarters in the town – and its hillside homes are popular with those working in Stuttgart which is a 25-minute commuter train ride away Both Sickinger and Maier drive Mercedes cars but Sickinger recalls that she and her husband drove battered old cars until her father-in-law died That's when they bought a one-year-old Mercedes Her mother-in-law said at the time: "Grandpa would never have bought a car but a field." Maier chips in: "People never sold any land The older generation were far more thrifty than us." Southern Germany's frugality has its roots in the 19th century a movement within Lutheranism that emphasised hard work and shunned worldly amusements Häusle baue – which translates as "work and work to build a house" – also dates back to that time "You feel guilty when you're not working," says Sickinger Swabians typically buy or build their own homes in their late 20s to early 30s and they also start saving for retirement from a young age Mortgages are traditionally provided by building societies in Germany and the rule of thumb has been for people to save a third of the purchase price and to borrow at fixed mortgages for up to 25 years where people usually upgrade to bigger homes as soon as they can afford to German families are squirrelling away almost twice as much as UK households according to a Lloyds TSB report this year The typical German household has £8,609 in savings and investments The chunk of their incomes that Germans put into savings investments and pensions has been stable at 10% in recent years while Britain's savings ratio was on a downward trend until the recession and has since risen to around 7% Swabians lead the way when it comes to saving in Germany "Baden-Württemberg has a lot of industry so people are budgeting on a secure basis – it's not pure misery," says Schmid Today the south is Germany's wealthiest region Deutscher Hausfrauenbund the German housewife association that she works for from practical skills to teaching young people how to budget It also offers a "master housewife" qualification for the more ambitious This used to be a badly paid job but that is changing now old people's homes and rehabilitation centres increasingly need people with those qualifications under a federal German law that was passed five years ago Other master housewives run organic food shops which are very popular – the guide Diana Schneider dresses up as a schwäbische Hausfrau "I'm Erna Schwätzele – she knows how to clean and work and keep the money together terminal, the oversized light sculpture by polish artist karolina halatek stands just like a recently landed UFO in the middle of the rathausplatz town hall square in gerlingen on the occasion of the light art festival ‘aufstiege’ by kulturregion stuttgart the artist’s work was chosen by the curator of the festival joachim fleischer alongside andrea löhle (city of gerlingen) and jean-baptiste joly –director of akademie schloss solitudeuses (above and main) image © karolina halatek in an interview with stuttgarter nachrichten karolina halatek goes into the meaning of the word ‘terminal’ and explains how she was influenced by the near death experiences reported by people once consciousness was regained the noun ‘terminal’ is a synonym for final stop or end station and as an adjective it marks a border that evokes the phase immediately before death there is often the speech of an enlightened tunnel –but it isn’t the artist’s intention to imitate this phenomenon through artificial means says halatek ‘that the people who experience my light-sculptures will be a piece of my work so it isn’t only something for them that they see and forget again’ the terminal experience of wordless thought: a source of light that shines on the square image © karolina halatek the terminal becomes a light source that strangely isn’t from media nor street lamps — quite arbitrary it invites people to make a circuit to enter and cross the space when the light in the tunnel is turned off the presence of the filigree white sculpture clearly remains and gives the rathausplatz square a different spatial order the installation frames the round extracts of the urban space and prompts passersby to perceive the buildings at the edges of the square differently users become part of the installation — immersed in the experience of light image © karolina halatek the terminal experience of wordless thought — evening time image © karolina halatek designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style GEORGIA | Leonie Harm’s presence at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur is nothing less than a miracle Harm was in a German hospital with doctors telling her family she had less than a 1 percent chance of living she recovered and has made the most of her second chance at life becoming one of the world’s leading female amateurs Even though she missed the 36-hole cut in this week’s inaugural championship with rounds of 78-76 at Champions Retreat Golf Club in nearby Evans the reigning British Women’s Amateur champion will play a practice round at Augusta National today – a courtesy extended to all 72 competitors before Saturday’s final round featuring the low 30 players – and that’s more than she ever imagined after her accident Following her two rounds at Champions Retreat but the golf course didn’t like me so much Maybe we will redefine our relationship next year; who knows It was really tough out there to play good golf because I hit a lot of really bad shots and they got harshly punished with a lot of high numbers because I’m excited to play a fun round of golf at Augusta (National) So at least I don’t have to be super serious out there.” brisk mornings in Harm’s hometown of Gerlingen were the only times she could get a run in She didn’t tell her parents she was leaving that morning Harm was running on the main street heading back home and as she crossed the street under a blinking-yellow light a drunk driver traveling almost 45 mph struck her According to the police report – Harm can’t remember most of the accident – she flipped over the car A woman who had graduated high school with Harm’s older brother and was walking to the bus on her way into work that morning witnessed the accident The woman had served in the German army for a few years and knew CPR When the woman got to Harm – according to the police report – she was bleeding out of her ears and unconscious and nearly pronounced her dead at the scene Harm’s parents – Hans-Dieter and Desiree – started to worry It was 6:30 in the morning and they had no idea where their 15-year-old daughter was until they received a call from the police They rushed to the hospital after doctors told them that they would do what they could but there was little hope for Leonie to survive https://www.instagram.com/p/BE8djEWvnwB/?utm_source=ig_embed five days later she woke up from the coma – groggy The only surgery she underwent was on her ankle because that was the only fracture that wasn’t clean “The human body is pretty impressive like that,” Harm said She still had another five weeks in a boot “The doctors said they had never seen anything like it,” Harm said and I went and watched my friends play because I couldn’t just sit there anymore She was cleared to practice once the boot came off Harm became the first player in Houston women’s golf history with multiple appearances at the NCAA Championships Her first tournament back was the British Girls’ Championship that July but got sick with an inner ear infection and withdrew Harm’s ears didn’t fully heal after the accident and with the travel and rain during the first round She arrived back in Germany and went immediately to the hospital for surgery A bone in her ear channel was broken and hadn’t healed on its own after the accident but “that’s OK in the greater perspective of things,” she said Harm’s inner-ear problems affected her balance and her golf swing “It was a bit more challenging on the brain at first and it was something I had to get used to as my swing was not as natural University of Houston women’s head coach Gerrod Chadwell heard about Harm through a mutual friend overseas there’s no way I hear about her,” Chadwell said she became the first player in program history with multiple appearances at the NCAA Championships “I honestly didn’t know if she was gonna come back (to school),” Chadwell said “But for her to process it all – overcoming the accident overcoming losing her best friend all while being one of the best amateur golfers in the world – she’s a bar-setter she broke through with the biggest win of her career at the British Ladies’ Amateur (since renamed the Women’s Amateur by the R&A) in the final at England’s Hillside Golf Club and becoming the first German to win the championship in its 155-year history She played in last year’s Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St and also earned an exemption into this year’s U.S But it’s not the victories that most please Harm the biggest accomplishment I had last year was not necessarily winning anything – it’s that I started to mature a lot on the golf course,” she said “It’s real easy to be in a good mood when you’re playing well and winning … And that’s just been the biggest accomplishment sports-related the wins are nice and playing the (Women’s) British Open was a really cool experience but I’m just really trying to have golf make me a better person.” We are sorry that this post was not useful for you Tell us how we can improve this post the World Socialist Web Site wrote about the onslaught against jobs wages and working conditions at Volkswagen autos: “The executive’s declaration of war on the workforce heralds a turning point in social policy that affects more than just VW.” The Bosch company has now announced such a turning point—with a new wave of attacks on jobs and wages The auto division of Robert Bosch GmbH is the world’s largest auto supplier household appliances and products and components for energy and building technology Following massive job cuts and various other cost-cutting programmes over the past two years the Bosch company employed just under 420,000 workers in 60 countries worldwide at the end of 2024 11,500 employees lost their jobs worldwide including 4,400 of the company’s 129,000-strong workforce in Germany The preliminary business result for 2024 suggests sales of 90.5 billion euros which would correspond to a maximum profit of 3.5 billion euros and a return of 3.5 percent profits stood at 4.6 billion euros and the return was 5 percent “I expect 2025 to be a challenging year,” said Bosch executive Stefan Hartung he announced “painful decisions” for the workforce The company plans to at least double its profits from 2024 by 2026 The company’s employees are expected to pay for the doubling of profit levels In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Hartung announced: “There will be further savings programmes—simply because there will be another major shift in the auto manufacturing complex by 2030.” it will inevitably continue over the next five or six years Hartung refused to disclose the number of redundancies the company is planning Hartung had already made clear in an interview in March 2024 when he first announced the wiping out of 3,500 jobs in Germany that there would be no end to the current attacks but the orders of magnitude we consider necessary to close the competitive gap it’s about permanent cost reduction and increasing competitiveness Bosch then announced plans to cut a further 12,230 jobs worldwide by 2026 Hartung emphasised that this could only be achieved in close cooperation with the IG Metall union “The system of social partnership (between management and unions) at Bosch,” he said has “never before been burdened with such job cuts.” He indicated that Bosch intended to follow a similar path to VW IG Metall’s open alliance with the company is leading to the destruction of at least 35,000 jobs a reduction in real wages of up to 20 percent and Bosch is also cutting wages and salaries as well as jobs The working hours of more than 10,000 employees are being forcibly reduced to 35 hours—without wage compensation Most of those affected currently work 38 to 40 hours a week meaning they may lose up to 15 percent of their gross salary in the past a reliable partner to management in the planning and implementation of staff reductions and cost-cutting programmes reacted to the latest announcements with displays of public outrage and claims of ignorance about the plans Bosch Mobility works council chairman Frank Sell who is also deputy chairman of the Supervisory Board of Robert Bosch GmbH complained that the works council was “only aware of the planned course of action in advance in hints and has now been presented with a fait accompli.” This is simply outright fraud at the presentation of a savings programme agreed with management Sell declared euphorically: “Now employees at the Mobility sites can look forward to job security until 2027.” “The works councils will now also be involved in strategic and economic planning at an early stage for example with regard to the location of future products and the development of target plans,” Sell said we are shaping the future of the German mobility locations beyond 2027.” The deputy chairman of the company Supervisory Board now claims to have been presented with a fait accompli and appeals once again for a revival of the old form of “social partnership” in which the trade union and the company jointly drew up cost-cutting plans the trade union bureaucrats like to refer to the tradition of the company which was founded by the right-wing social-democrat Robert Bosch in 1886 German industry was at the height of global capitalist development Working conditions improved enormously under these circumstances—mainly due to the work of the early Social Democratic Party led by August Bebel which built up the trade unions and organised the working masses under the banner of Marxism the reformist illusions that had developed in the SPD were exposed with the advent of World War I the Bosch plant in Stuttgart was temporarily closed due to a strike for better wages and working conditions the SPD parliamentary group in the Reichstag voted in favour of the Kaiser’s war credits As Rosa Luxemburg so aptly said: capitalism presented the working class with the alternative of “socialism or barbarism.” capitalist society is heading for disaster War and trade wars are escalating at a pace not seen since the Second World War US President Donald Trump is accelerating and exacerbating this tendency are planning massive changes at the expense of the workforce no pension is safe from the merciless hunt for yield and profit IG Metall is prepared to enforce these changes works councillor Sell complains about the management’s failure to lead and its refusal to discuss a concept for the entire company “There is a lack of entrepreneurial courage,” Sell says That’s why “we’re hurtling towards a wall at 200 km/h and nobody dares to be the first to brake.” Hartung and the company he heads do have a concept Jobs will be cut and wages reduced until the desired profit margin is reached Hartung has instructed the works councils in each individual division and at each plant to negotiate separately with the respective board members and managers This is intended to prevent a joint response from the approximately 130,000 workers in Germany and almost 420,000 workers worldwide In order to provide a powerful response to the attacks employees must organise themselves into independent action committees who seriously want to fight for jobs and wages must organise themselves in these committees The 420,000 Bosch employees worldwide are already a huge social force They will be joined in a genuine struggle by the 670,000 VW employees and many other millions of workers around the world Everywhere there is growing resistance to the impending attacks the trade union apparatuses are determined to break the resistance of the workforce They are closely allied with the SPD and the other parties in the Bundestag maintaining that the current federal election should not be disrupted by protesting or even striking workers IG Metall is therefore postponing its nationwide day of protest on which demonstrations have been registered in Hanover The aim is to strengthen the backing of the next federal government so it can push through attacks on jobs step up rearmament and expand its involvement in war The Socialist Equality Party’s (SGP) election appeal for the federal elections therefore states: To defend jobs, wages and rights, workers must organize independently of the trade union bureaucracy and unite internationally. We call for the establishment of action committees that are controlled by and responsible only to the rank and file. These committees must defend every job at all locations as a matter of principle and reject any concessions on wages and social benefits. This struggle must be waged internationally. The action committees must overcome the divisions within the workforce—between permanent and temporary employees, between different locations and between car brands—and establish networks with action committees in other plants, companies and countries. We have launched the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) for this purpose. Not a penny for armaments! Health and education instead of armaments and war! Defend all jobs! Build independent action committees! Expropriate the landlords, energy companies and war profiteers without compensation! Workers who agree should contact the action committee immediately. You can register via Whatsapp at +49-163-337 8340 or register using the form below. War abroad necessitates war at home. At the same time as the German ruling class prepares its third bid for world power with war credits amounting to at least one trillion euros, big business has declared war on the working class. Following the agreement by the conservative CDU/CSU, Social Democratic Party and Greens to finance the biggest rearmament program in Germany since Hitler, massive job cuts have been announced, particularly in the country’s industrial sector. Shortly before Christmas, Volkswagen announced that it would cut more than one in three jobs at its German factories, i.e., 35,000 from a total of 120,000. VW has played a pioneering role in the largest downsizing in the auto industry since the Second World War. Meanwhile, Mercedes has decided on a similar cuts package with talk of 15,000 jobs being axed. Audi is cutting up to 7,500 jobs, with 1,900 jobs on the chopping block at Porsche. In the space of just three days, the following downsizing has been announced. Bear in mind this list is incomplete: ·        Siemens: minus 6,000 jobs, similarly ·        Automotive supplier Borg-Warner: 400 ·        Konradin printing company near Stuttgart, insolvent: over 100 ·        Iron foundry Teutoguss and Lüneburger Eisenwerk (Focast Lüneburg), insolvent: almost 200 The reduction in industrial jobs is enormous, but not limited to that sector, reports the Tagesschau newspaper based on info from the Munich-based economic research institute ifo. The service industry is also planning to cut jobs. In particular, IT service providers are said to be “slamming on the brakes.” Companies in the retail sector are also planning job cuts. Even in the construction industry, “a slight tendency towards fewer employees” is said to prevail. In the public sector and at the post office, the leadership of the public service union Verdi is currently trying to impose cuts to wages and jobs on behalf of the governing parties. Most of the corporations announcing job cuts are not even in the red. They are not suffering losses, just less in the way of profits. At Porsche, profits fell by 30 percent compared to the previous year, but still amounted to around 3.6 billion euros. Audi’s profit declined by a third to 4.2 billion euros. The main reason for the decline was the high costs of closing its plant in Brussels, where over 3,000 employees lost their jobs. Siemens is cutting jobs primarily in its automation division because profits there fell by a third. But here, too, there were no losses. Moreover, this had no serious impact on the group’s overall profit level. In the past fiscal year (to September 2024), it reached 9 billion euros, more than ever before. VW is also a prime example here. Its profits are neither higher nor lower than in previous years, but are still too low for the company’s main shareholders – the Porsche and Piëch families and the sheikhs from Qatar. They want even bigger returns. That is why they have insisted on plant closures and big wage cuts. This offensive by the corporations in the interest of the oligarchs and shareholders would not be possible if they did not have the active support of the trade union apparatus, above all the engineering union IG Metall. It vehemently supports the government’s war credits and rearmament program. The union’s nationwide day of action last Saturday was aimed at demonstrating this. At a company level, they enforce the demand for profit maximization with the methods of “social partnership” they have refined over decades against the workforce. Whether at VW, Audi, Mercedes, Siemens, Bosch, Thyssenkrupp – everywhere the union stifles opposition in the factories and work closely together with the corporate bosses. What the IG Metall chiefs describe as the “fight against job destruction” in their soapbox speeches is in fact the opposite. When they negotiate social tariffs with the corporations, they have long since accepted the job cuts. The only question is how the jobs will be destroyed, not whether they will be destroyed. In this way, the union leaders are lining up in the common front of big business and political leaders against the working class. Precisely because those in power know that they can rely on their union bureaucrats, they are now going all out. They want to use the new federal government to turn back the wheel of history. There is hardly a politician or business representative who does not blurt out demands for cuts in conditions and wage reductions into the nearest microphone. This week, Focus magazine presented a list of ways in which the costs of armaments and war could be squeezed out of the population directly. According to the Focus editor, Germany could “renew its infrastructure and upgrade its military” without “mega debt.” But to do that, the new government would have to decide on “uncomfortable measures.” These include: 1. Increasing pension contributions: each percentage point would generate an additional 19 billion euros in revenue. If the government lowers the pension level by one percentage point, spending would fall by four billion euros. 2. Banning direct visits to specialist doctors, reintroducing practice fees and variable insurance rates would force a “two-tier medical system” but save money. 3. A highway toll for all drivers would bring in 30 to 40 billion euros a year. 4. Cancellation of the building energy law would bring in around ten billion euros. 5. Cancellation of the renewable energy law or the transfer of costs to consumers would bring in around 18 billion euros. 6. The elimination of environmentally harmful subsidies, such as the reduced VAT on meat and dairy products, would yield more than 5 billion euros. The discussion sparked by CDU leader Frederick Merz and the CDU/CSU about cuts to Citizen’s Income is not primarily about potential savings. In this case, billions would be squeezed out of society’s poorest in order to fill the pockets of the country’s billionaires. To this end the ruling elite plans to enforce and step up the Hartz IV laws introduced 20 years ago to force the unemployed into any job, however poorly paid. The Hartz “reforms” established a huge low-wage sector. Former, reasonably well-paid industrial workers were forced to switch to low-paid jobs, such as parcel delivery drivers. The hundreds of thousands of industrial workers who are currently losing their jobs are to be forced by the planned coercive measures to switch to low-wage work or to the unpopular arms industry. The VW plants facing closure will also be sold to the arms industry – with the help of IG Metall, which supports this “transformation.” As early as the Second World War, VW built the Kübelwagen from 1940 and then the Schwimmwagen from 1942. By the end of the war in 1945, the factory had produced a total of 66,285 vehicles for Hitler’s army and increased its turnover tenfold from 1940 to 1944 alone. The leaders of IG Metall and the other trade unions are using their apparatus to once again enforce austerity, exploitation and war. To counter this, new organizations of the working class must be built, independent action committees in which trustworthy employees can discuss joint action, network with colleagues from other plants, other sectors and other countries, and exchange ideas in order to assert their interests against those of the shareholders, managers and union officials. Take action now, register via Whatsapp at +49-163-337 8340 and sign up using the form below. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world 2024 at 7:27 AM ESTBookmarkSaveRobert Bosch GmbH will reduce the working hours of about 10,000 employees in addition to massive job cuts it’s undertaking to counter a slump in demand for auto parts Affected staff will have their working week shortened to 35 hours from 38 or 40 The measures will be introduced from March at its headquarters in Gerlingen with similar moves planned for facilities in Schwaebisch-Gmuend and Schwieberdingen the German industrial and technology group will further strengthen its layout and development of new energy vehicle-related products in China said that electrified powertrain solutions will drive major growth in its business over the course of the decade Hartung said Bosch will accelerate the development of fuel cell hydrogen and electromobility technologies in China signed an agreement with Wuxi National High-tech Industrial Development Zone Administrative Committee This move will accelerate its localization and commercialization of hydrogen fuel cells for mobile application and commercial vehicle electrification in China Germany-headquartered group launched its first production line of high-volume membrane electrodes assembly in Wuxi in early 2023 and plans for local production of bipolar plates in 2025 Bosch said that innovative electric drive systems for commercial vehicles such as electric motor and power electronic control units will be localized in China during 2023 mining: new sensors can measure the smallest magnetic fields The technology group Bosch sees a potential worth billions in this area – and is joining forces with a partner Bosch is driving forward the development of highly sensitive sensors that can be used in areas such as navigation and medical technology the technology group and the supplier of artificial diamonds are founding the joint venture Bosch Quantum Sensing This is the result of an internal start-up as the company from Gerlingen near Stuttgart announced The key components of the so-called quantum sensors are synthetically produced diamonds with specific properties The sensors can reportedly measure even the smallest magnetic fields Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung said: “Quantum sensor technology is a future technology with great potential It will bring about groundbreaking changes in many sectors of our economy and make people’s lives better.” The areas of application are therefore vast: in future by orienting themselves to the Earth’s magnetic field They can also be used in the search for mineral resources and to measure heart activity Bosch estimates the global market potential of applications for medicine and mobility to be in the mid-single-digit billion range annually by the middle of the next decade it will probably be quite a while before the sensors are widely used The current prototype is the size of a smartphone The new joint venture is intended to ensure that Bosch also earns money with the technology member of the company’s board of management has promised a market-ready product in the early 2030s The long-term goal is to shrink the sensors so that they fit onto a computer chip Bosch Quantum Sensing is currently based in Ludwigsburg and has around 30 employees Element Six from the UK will hold 25 percent of the shares in the future The partners have been working together on the development of the sensors since 2023 They have agreed not to disclose further details The authorities still have to approve the foundation IT Verlag fuer Informationstechnik GmbHLudwig-Ganghofer-Str Data Protection: Manage Data Protection Consent Images: shutterstock.com and depositphotos Subscribe Founded in 1886, Bosch has grown to become one of the largest multinational engineering and electronics companies in the world The Gerlingen-headquartered firm had revenues of €70.6 billion ($80.5 billion) in 2015 German industrialist Robert Bosch founded precursor firm “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering” in 1886 Bosch introduced his first product: a low voltage magneto (electrical generator) for gas motors Over the next two decades Bosch saw significant global expansion Bosch restructured his firm as a private limited company and stipulated that earnings should be designated to charitable causes The ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future 92% of share capital is owned by a charitable foundation: Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH The remaining shares are held by eight members of the third generation Bosch has invested heavily into research and recently opened a new research and development centre near Stuttgart Its 1,700 researchers are looking to develop new methods of transport ranging from autonomous-vehicle technology to the next generation of electric vehicle batteries As a leading supplier to the global automotive industry Bosch can help steer burgeoning mobility sectors in any way they see fit They have already found some success with their electric bicycle products CampdenFB.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Campden Wealth © 2001-2022 CampdenFB.com Your use of this site is governed by the Terms and Conditions The 22-year-old from Gerlingen has made the step up to the WEC from LMP3 and the Michelin Le Mans Cup "It was a long decision-making process involving all the important heads of the team as well as Egidio the question was: how we can improve the performance and contest the rest of the season without changing drivers again," explained Team Principal Axel Funke Team Manager Marcel Jürgens-Wichmann added: "We thank David for his work with the team The whole team wishes David all the best for his future in motorsport as well as in his private life He will always remain part of the Project 1 family.” The latest version of the Lone Star Le Mans entry list can be viewed HERE. The team have also amended the livery of their No 57 car with a special Wynn’s livery for both COTA and the 1000 Miles of Sebring  Check out the images of the new-look car below The automotive supplier is selling its business with security systems such as surveillance cameras and alarm systems Thousands of employees worldwide are affected by the move The technology group Bosch is selling its security systems business such as surveillance cameras and alarm systems This was announced by the company in Gerlingen near Stuttgart Around 4,300 associates at more than 90 locations worldwide are affected by the move The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price The division is headquartered in Neuperlach near Munich The business comprises the three product areas of video systems access control systems and intrusion detection systems as well as communication systems and thus the entire product business of Bosch Building Technologies available for sale Bosch had already announced its plans in October last year and then began looking for a buyer Bosch manager Christian Fischer said that Triton had presented a convincing growth strategy for the business and could offer a high level of industry expertise and many years of experience in the further development of comparable companies A Bosch spokesperson declined to say how many jobs are affected by the sale in Germany Triton has undertaken to comply with the transfer agreement concluded as part of the sale which provides for certain working conditions for associates The division to be sold had generated sales of more than one billion euros in 2023 the technology group intends to focus the Building Technologies division on the regional system integration business with solutions and services for building security The aim is to become a leading global provider of system integration Don't have an account? Subscribe “Our goal is to help stakeholders understand the future of mobility.” Home › News Releases › Starter Motors and Generators division: In the market shake-out Bosch pins its hopes on a partner or buyer Dialogue with employee representatives continued employee representatives organized a demonstration outside Bosch headquarters in Gerlingen It was held to protest the planned realignment of Bosch’s Starter Motors and Generators division the company had announced its plans to find a partner or buyer for the division the demonstration was attended by just under 2000 people In a meeting with employee representatives chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH explained why the planned realignment was necessary They also expressed sympathy for the demontsrators’ reactions “We take our responsibility for our associates very seriously and so this decision was not taken lightly But we firmly believe that the division’s future survival can only be secured over the long term together with a partner or buyer,” Denner said we have a responsibility toward the Starter Motors and Generators division the division is to be carved out and made a legally independent entity Bosch intends to look for appropriate partners and buyers with a clear concept for taking the business forward and securing its long-term future Let us help you understand the future of mobility Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" and trends shaping the future of electric mobility Tickets for this in-person event are limited and trends shaping the future of the software-defined vehicle and trends shaping the future of autonomous mobility Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks The specialization of Erdenwerk Kleeschulte in peat-free and peat-reduced soils and substrates is a business out of sustainable conviction The tireless search for an environmentally friendly packaging solution is only logical After intensive joint research with dy-pack Verpackungen GmbH from Wenden-Gerlingen have created the first recyclable paper packaging the 'nature bag 'for naturally moist soil.  Up to 1 million organisms bustle about in a teaspoon of soil and have an insatiable appetite The microscopic creatures' favorite food is paper due to the high polysaccharide content in the cellulose paper packaging seemed to be impossible for earthbags until now it has nevertheless been possible to develop a paper packaging for naturally moist soil It can be fed into the recycling process via normal household paper waste This was recently confirmed and certified by the cyclos-HTP institute and testing the recyclability of packaging The nature bag consists of 95% paper and is paper packaging is a valuable recycled raw material for pulp needed by the paper industry Pulp is the fibrous mass produced during the chemical pulping of plant fibers Kleeschulte Erden and dy-pack Verpackungen combined their know-how in development: the knowledge of sustainable soils paired with the experience and expertise in paper packaging "Lengthy cooperative tests with different paper constructions led to the sought-after result can be stored for three months without causing any deterioration And we are continuing to work on extending the shelf life The new nature bag differs fundamentally from the Kleeschulte 'Paper Bag' introduced in 2020 The soil in the conventional ‚Paper Bag 'had to be dried to prevent the paper bag from losing its stability The fact that a paper bag for naturally moist soil has now been developed is a particularly important milestone Focus on the point of saleThe new nature bag offers remarkable unique selling properties for sustainable-oriented trade With the Kleeschulte peat-free soil line in the nature bag the soil factory meets the increasing demand for sustainable soil products in an unprecedented way All packaging sizes from 3 liters to 70 liters will be available for retailers' own branding "This is ideal for secondary placement in the shop interior and at the checkout area and we are at the beginning of the market launch so there is still a lot of potential for ideas and developments "says Sales Director Jens Brune from Kleeschulte Erden The pallets can also be packed and left outside under a roof when very well protected Anyone who would like to get an idea of the new nature bag for naturally moist soil is welcome to visit the Kleeschulte stand at the IPM in Hall 3 Stand 3A13 (directly at the west entrance) For more information:Kleeschulte Erden GmbH & Co. KG kleeschulte-erden.de FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 HortiDaily.com The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities Apleona has acquired the ventilation and air conditioning company Air for All Air for All’s existing management team will continue to run the company which will become part of Apleona's Building Technology division: Apleona Wolfferts including technicians and HVAC specialists Air for All has specific expertise in facilities such as cleanrooms and laboratories for clients in the automotive and healthcare sectors The deal means Apleona will be able to expand its range of technical systems and presence in the southwest region of Germany This comes after several other acquisitions in 2023 to secure Apleona’s position in key European FM markets including a merger with FM provider Gegenbauer Group in July.  said: “Air for All is an established regional provider of ventilation and air conditioning technology in South-West Germany with an excellent reputation an impressive customer base and highly qualified employees Its team will optimally complement Apleona Wolfferts’ existing portfolio in the South-West and has the potential to make an important contribution to our growth in the region I am also delighted that we will be able to serve our customers in other regions with innovative concepts and integrated solutions for cleanrooms and laboratories thanks to Air for All’s specialism in this area.” commented: “We have known Apleona Wolfferts for a number of years and appreciate its expertise as a proven building technology specialist Apleona Wolfferts is the ideal platform for the continued development and growth of our company It will provide the foundations for a successful future for our employees and the many customers we have in common.” Picture: a photograph of Horst Kever. Image Credit: Apleona Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 16 January 2024 Apleona Wolfferts has been commissioned to provide building technology systems in the latest expansion stage of UPS’ freight and trans-shipment centre at Cologne.. Rinnai is dedicated to providing UK customers installers and system designers with consistently updated information regarding products energy policy and energy market regulation amendments​ A huge shift in American energy procurement policy that embraces fossil fuels could alter short-to-medium term power options on the international energy market due to the influence of America on western trade Learn More Here >> Rinnai’s Chris Goggin looks in-depth at public information regarding heat pumps and other low carbon products being potentially diluted by recent changes to social media’s stance on fact-checking economic & technical solutions with Low-GWP 50kW heat pump plate heat exchangers and ten cascaded I2HY20 hydrogen-ready continuous flow water heaters in a new development in Farringdon All Rinnai appliances are manufactured under strict guidelines of ISO 9001 quality management and ISO 14001 environmental management systems Learn More Here >> InvisiGard by Orion Eco Solutions is a revolutionary water-based coating that effectively eliminates viruses Rinnai has installed its I2HY20 Hydrogen blends 20% certified commercial water heaters at a leading bread manufacturer in Bradford Learn More Here >> Henshall & Sheehy appointed to deliver the Hard FM Services at the prestigious Highbury Square Our mission is to provide skills and knowledge to help you achieve success in IWFM level 5 and 6 We will not share your information with anyone This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page German multinational engineering and technology company Bosch is inviting African startups to compete in its smart mobility startup competition Bosch says the competition is open to smart mobility startups in the region Bosch, according to a report published by Tech In Africa is looking for seed-stage startups with passion over-delivering innovative smart mobility solutions across specified themes as well as electric vehicles and renewable energy Insurance and data tracking systems are also feasible to be implemented in the notion The ten winners of this competition will have the luxury to present and showcase their own grand designs in Johannesburg The goal is to engage in a fresh solution towards addressing mobility issues picked by Bosch and Founders Factory Africa on the day will stand a chance of winning up to $30,000 as well as being the first in line for collaboration with Bosch “This exciting initiative enables us to showcase Smart Mobility innovation across Africa We are looking forward to selecting businesses that align with Bosch Smart Mobility Solutions’ strategic focus areas so that the company assets could help the start-ups ramp up productivity of the business.” Yves Nono Interested startups can submit their application by clicking this link 2019—with final announcements scheduled on September 30 ‘’’This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your startup solution to Bosch one of the world’s largest suppliers of Smart Mobility solutions with strong presence and distribution across Africa and to explore areas of collaboration across Africa and globally.’’  Follow us on Telegram, Twitter, Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. “Cloud computing is at the core of digital transformation and we believe access to high-quality training is essential to unlocking career opportunities,” The amount Raxio Secured  from IFC to Develop Sub-Saharan African Data Center Platform About Us Advertise With Us LinkedIn Newsletter startup-weekly.com www.theflipside.co.ke  www.africabusinesscommunities.com econews.co.ke Office: +254 110013061 M: +254 738 189 843 Website: www.techtrendsmedia.co.ke