Mercedes-Benz has halted all further investment at its German sites and is considering plant closures. "The executive board has jointly decided to halt all further investments in German sites," chief production officer Michael Schiebe said in an internal interview. • HR chief Britta Seeger said Mercedes must examine "which sites in Germany we can still afford to maintain"
• Mercedes wants to avoid closures "at all costs," but says it must now pursue that option more concretely
• A production labor hour in Germany can cost up to 5x what it costs in Eastern Europe, per Mercedes
• Talks with the works council and IG Metall are deadlocked. Management wants 40-hour weeks instead of 35, with no extra pay. Mercedes has about a dozen production sites in Germany. Schiebe earlier warned that one vehicle assembly plant and one powertrain plant could close if costs aren't cut, and that without a deal, new models would only be built abroad.