GRW, the subsidiary of Schmitz Cargobull, wants to start working again at bus builder Van Hool on Monday. This already ensures part of the restart.
It has been quiet on the Van Hool sites for several weeks. The bus builder has been declared bankrupt since April 8 and the gates have remained closed ever since. But that would change on Monday. GRW, a subsidiary of the German Schmitz Cargobull, wants to restart production of industrial vehicles. This is confirmed by curator Jeroen Pinoy and Gerhard van der Merwe, CEO of GRW.
“It was very important to quickly start operational activities, both to complete current orders and to retain the knowledge and expertise of the employees,” says Merwe. “We will restart production on Monday. This will take place in three phases: In the first phase, all vehicles that are already in a final phase will be completely finished by a limited number of employees. In a second phase, parts are also purchased and produced themselves. In the third phase, production will be fully started and the aim is to be fully operational by early June 2024. This is expected to result in employment of up to 350 employees.”
There is no clarity yet for the other acquirer, the Dutch VDL. And that mainly has to do with the competition watchdog. They are now examining the entire file and that process can take up to four weeks. However, people could start working again at the North Macedonia factory next week. VDL primarily focuses its attention on the North Macedonian factory because there is no social security in the country and employees are therefore even more likely to look for another job. Although the Dutch group also realizes that the labor shortage in our country is very high. VDL’s plans are not yet known, but it is expected that they will initially focus on the coaches.
According to the unions, discussions with the buyers are going well. Both GRW and VDL say they do not want to change the wage and employment conditions.
Tags: part restart assured production Van Hool restart Monday Lier
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