Protestors Reportedly Storm Meeting at Audi’s Brussels Plant

Audi announced earlier this week that the “active search for investors has come to an end” after being unable to find a suitable buyer for their Brussels plant. This essentially sealed the fate of the facility, as production of the Q8 e-tron is set to cease early next year.

Tensions between the automaker and its workers are understandably high, with around 4,000 employees facing job losses in the coming months. The situation escalated on Wednesday when protestors disrupted a meeting between union representatives and plant management.

Protestors disrupted a meeting between union representatives and plant management

This reportedly led company officials to call the police to remove the protestors, with several individuals claiming the police used excessive force, “barging in like cowboys and hitting us with batons.”

While union officials didn’t describe the situation in such extreme terms, Euronews quoted the Permanent Secretary of the General Labor Federation of Belgium (FGTB) as saying:

“This is not how you conduct peaceful discussions. Workers are simply asking for a fair social plan,” which means “adequate compensation for the work they’ve done.”

Germany’s Spiegel characterized the incident as a riot, reporting that over 150 people stormed the meeting, preventing attendees from leaving. Fireworks were set off, and one union member was “slightly injured” during the unrest.

Tensions are likely to remain high until a compensation agreement is reached between the parties. Even then, continued frustration over the impending plant closure is expected. The German automaker already announced its plans to cut down 15% of its workforce with nearly 4,500 jobs at risk.

As previously reported, Audi decided to end Q8 e-tron production early due to a “sharp decline in demand.” The company also cited long-standing structural challenges at the Brussels plant, including high logistics costs and a layout difficult to modify due to its location near the city center.