Around 25,000 Mercedes-Benz employees have demonstrated against the planned sale of the company’s car dealerships, workers’ representatives in Germany said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Some 10,000 people joined a protest at the luxury car-builder’s plant in Sindelfingen in the state of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, according to the General Works Council and the IG Metall trade union.<\/p>\n
Under the slogan “We stick together – on July 2 and every day,” more protesters gathered at the Mercedes-Benz Group headquarters in Stuttgart-Untert\u00fcrkheim, and in the cities of Rastatt, Dusseldorf, Bremen and Berlin.<\/p>\n
The rallies were attended not only by employees of the car dealerships, but also of the Mercedes plants, with protesters venting their anger with drums, whistles and banners.<\/p>\n
“The employees are furious,” said General Works Council Chairman Ergun L\u00fcmali. “Anyone who attacks one of us is attacking us all.”<\/p>\n
All Mercedes production lines were at a standstill and numerous branches are also closed. Works meetings had already been held at many locations in the spring.<\/p>\n
According to earlier reports, around 8,000 people are employed at Mercedes-Benz branches in around 80 plants. One company can include several car dealerships.<\/p>\n
The group said in March that it intended to sell the dealerships and that each one would be examined individually. According to a spokesperson, no dealerships have yet been sold.<\/p>\n
The company wants to select the buyers according to several criteria, including having to bring retail expertise, economic strength, entrepreneurial competence, willingness to invest and open-mindedness towards employee representatives.<\/p>\n