No layoffs due to operational reasons at Kuka - No layoffs due to operational reasons at Kuka
KUKA has reached an agreement with its works council to prevent forced redundancies at its Augsburg base. The deal comes after months of tough talks over job cuts and cost-saving measures. Around 3,000 staff work at the robotics firm’s headquarters in the Bavarian city.
The company first announced plans to reduce its workforce in late 2025. Initially, 400 full-time roles were set to go, but by November, that number had risen to 560. The increase followed ongoing struggles in the industrial robotics sector, where KUKA lost out on new contracts worth over €100 million this year. Most of its business still depends on orders from the automotive industry.
Negotiations wrapped up in December, just months after Christoph Schell took over as CEO on 1 July. He replaced Peter Mohnen, who had served on the board for 13 years. Under the new agreement, no operational layoffs will occur until at least July 2029. This move aims to free up cash for critical investments while protecting jobs. Employees will still face financial cutbacks. Scheduled pay rises and bonus payments have been delayed or cancelled. Carola Leitmeir, the works council’s lead negotiator, called the deal a necessary compromise. She stressed that it secures the Augsburg site’s future and limits the number of job losses.
The agreement shields KUKA’s Augsburg workforce from compulsory redundancies for nearly four years. Staff will absorb pay and bonus cuts, but the company avoids immediate large-scale layoffs. The focus now shifts to stabilising operations in a difficult market for industrial robotics.
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