Η VW συμφώνησε για αποζημιώσεις στους αντιπροσώπους της στις Η.Π.Α

23:53 26/8/2016 - Πηγή: AutoBlog

Η Volkswagen Αμερικής ανακοίνωσε πως έχει έρθει σε μια κατ’αρχήν συμφωνία” με τους αντιπροσώπους της στις Η.Π.Α, προσφέροντας τους αποζημιώσεις λόγω της πτώσης των πωλήσεων που είδανε από το Dieselgate. Παρότι οι όροι δεν έχουν ανακοινωθεί, η VW αναφέρει πως “έχει συμφωνήσει να πληρώσει τοις μετρητοίς του αντιπροσώπους της, δίνοντάς τους παράλληλα και άλλα οφέλη, ενώ θα κατανείμει τις πληρωμές στους

αντιπροσώπους της με τον κατάλληλο τρόπο.” Ξένα δημοσιεύματα πάντως κάνουν λόγω για ποσό 1,2 δισ. δολαρίων που θα μοιραστεί στους εμπόρους.

Τον περασμένο Απρίλιο, μια ομάδα αντιπροσώπων της VW κατέθεσε αγωγή κατά της αυτοκινητοβιομηχανίας. Η συμφωνία θα οριστικοποιηθεί μέσα στο προσεχές διάστημα και θα πρέπει να εγκριθεί από το Περιφερειακό Δικαστήριο των ΗΠΑ, όπου και αναμένεται να ανακοινωθεί επίσημα μέσα στον Σεπτέμβριο.

Στις σχετικές ειδήσεις η VW ανακοίνωσε επίσης πως μετά την συμφωνία που ήρθε με τους δύο προμηθευτές της, δεν θα χρειαστεί να σταματήσει την παραγωγή των 5 εκ των 6 εργοστασίων της που είχε ανακοινώσει στις αρχές της εβδομάδος. Συγκεκριμένα σε πέντε εργοστάσιά της VW σε Wolfsburg, Zwickau, Kassel, Salzgitter και Braunschweig δεν θα σταματήσουν ούτε μια ημέρα την παραγωγή.

Δελτίο Τύπου

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (“Volkswagen”) today announced it has reached an agreement in principle to resolve the claims of VW-branded franchise dealers in the United States relating to TDI vehicles affected by the diesel matter and other matters asserted concerning the value of the franchise. Volkswagen has agreed to make cash payments and provide additional benefits to the dealers to resolve alleged past, current and future claims of losses in franchise value. Volkswagen and the dealers’ counsel will now work to finalize details of the proposed settlement, including how to apportion payments to dealers in the appropriate manner.

Details of the agreement in principle are still under discussion and are expected to be finalized at the end of September. Any proposed agreement will become effective only after approval by the Court, and the parties have agreed to keep further terms confidential as they work to finalize the agreement. Under the agreement, Volkswagen will consent to the certification – for settlement purposes only – of a class of VW-branded franchise dealers in the United States as of an agreed date.

“We believe this agreement in principle with Volkswagen dealers is a very important step in our commitment to making things right for all our stakeholders in the United States,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, CEO of the North American Region, Volkswagen. “Our dealers are our partners and we value their ongoing loyalty and passion for the Volkswagen brand. This agreement, when finalized, will strengthen the foundation for our future together and further emphasize our commitment both to our partners and the U.S. market.”

Steve Berman, Managing Partner of the dealers’ counsel Hagens Berman, said, “Our clients recognized the best solution would be one that not only allows them to recoup lost franchise value and continue to employ thousands of American workers, but one that also charts a strong course for the recovery of the Volkswagen brand in the United States.” Berman added, “Now that there is a path forward for dealers, they can continue to work proactively to take great care of their customers, who are also VW customers.”

The plaintiffs filed the initial complaint against Volkswagen on April 6, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The litigation was subsequently transferred to the multidistrict proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Interruptions in production largely cushioned by internal flexibilization measures

Wolfsburg, 26 August 2016

Short-time work at five plants not required

Following the agreement reached with two suppliers, Volkswagen can significantly reduce the effects of interruptions in production and for the most part compensate for downtimes by means of internal flexibilization measures.

The company had initially made precautionary arrangements for flexibilization measures at six plants and had not ruled out short-time work. Thanks to the swift return to normal production, short-time work at the five plants in Wolfsburg, Zwickau, Kassel, Salzgitter and Braunschweig is not required.

The affected sections at the Kassel and Salzgitter plants resumed normal production immediately. This was made possible by flexibilization measures similar to those also deployed at the affected section of the Braunschweig plant.

The vehicle production plants in Wolfsburg, Zwickau and Emden also began intensive preparations to return to full production as soon as possible immediately following the agreement. Consequently, permission for short-time work was only sought for the Emden plant, while internal measures were used to bridge interruptions in Wolfsburg and Zwickau.