STIHL extends agreement on job and location security - target size of regular workforce increased

On October 5, 2007, ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG in Waiblingen and the general works council extended the company-internal agreement on job and location security to December 31, 2009. This strengthens STIHL’s competitiveness and creates an important prerequisite for securing jobs and training places in Germany.

Target size of regular workforce increased, number of training places guaranteed
The executive board and general works council reached a decision to extend the agreement on job and location security, which was originally signed in 1997 and further developed in 2000, 2002 and 2004. STIHL shall strive to keep the regular workforce at not less than 3,275 up to the end of 2009. Compared to the 2004 agreement, the target size has been increased by 100 employees. Providing the order situation does not change dramatically, there will be no layoffs for operational reasons up to that time. The increased number of available training places at the founding company, i.e. at least 60 training places per year, will be maintained for the duration of the agreement. With apprentices and trainees accounting for 5.7% of the workforce, the company is well above the average for the industry and thus meets its social responsibility. At least 75% of the apprentices and trainees who will complete their training in Waiblingen will be offered permanent positions in 2008. In the years thereafter everything is to be done to take on the apprentices and trainees on a permanent basis, depending on their suitability and in-house requirements.

Executive board and general works council to proceed with package of measures
The measures to improve competitiveness focus primarily on flexible working hours, job organization and in-house social benefits. The working time corridor, the so-called “Flexi account“, from minus 100 to plus 200 hours per employee, is to be continued. In order to overcome capacity bottlenecks, the company may schedule a limited number of Saturdays per year and employee without extra allowances. STIHL executive board chairman Dr. Bertram Kandziora comments on the agreement: "In the past ten years the agreement has been an important factor which contributed to the company’s success in Germany."  Claudia Klenk, deputy chairwoman of the general works council at STIHL, emphasizes: “We welcome the fact that the company has again undertaken to guarantee employment in the future and provide training places in qualified trades at a high level as well as give a large number of apprentices and trainees unlimited contracts of employment on completion of their training."

Company portrait
The STIHL Group develops, manufactures and distributes outdoor power equipment for forestry, landscape maintenance and the construction industry. The product line is supplemented by the VIKING range of garden tools and equipment. Products are sold exclusively through servicing dealers. The STIHL sales and distribution organization consists of 32 sales subsidiaries, more than 120 importers and some 35,000 dealers in more than 160 countries. STIHL has been the world’s biggest selling chain saw brand since 1971. The company was founded in 1926 and is based in Waiblingen near Stuttgart.

Voucher copy requested.

Caption:

From left: Dr. Peter Dürolf (Senior Vice President Finance and Human Resources), Claudia Klenk (Deputy Chairman of the Joint Works Council) and Dr. Bertram Kandziora (Chairman and Senior Vice President Manufacturing and Materials) signing the job and location security agreement.

Photograph: STIHL (Reprint free of charge / voucher copy requested)