KBA and union agree workplace changes to boost production efficiency

The regulations, which have been agreed by KBA, employee representatives and union representatives, came into effect from 1 January at the main plants in Würzburg and Radebeul.

A statement said the regulations were introduced to “alleviate fluctuations in capacity utilisation” and “improve the profitability of the core sheetfed and web press business”.

The amendments to the wage agreements include the removal of hours from flexitime accounts without adjusting wages; and a reduction in the weekly regular working times with corresponding adjustments to wages and salary.

“The actual weekly amount of hours worked can vary considerably depending on the volume of orders and operational capacity,” said the statement.

[Related: KBA revamps Rapida 145]

“The management board and non-tariff professional and managerial staff will also be subject to the savings to the same degree,” it added.

In return, workers covered by the agreement will be protected from dismissal until 30 June 2015.

KBA marketing director Klaus Schmidt told ProPrint‘s sister title, PrintWeek, that the removal of hours from flexitime accounts without adjusting wages would mean that employees would lose flexitime hours they had accrued without being compensated “to a certain extent”. He said that flexitime hours would now be collected on a personal account.

Schmidt said workers would be given a minimum of 32.5 hours a week at the web press facilities in Wuerzburg and Trennfeld, where the norm was 35 hours; and 30 hours a week at the sheetfed facility in Radebeul, where the norm was 38 hours.

[Related: More international news]

This article originally appeared at printweek.com

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.  

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required

Advertisement

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
Advertisement