Volkswagen works council boss Bernd Osterloh calls for a leaner corporate structure. The world's top automakers need "no huge board with bloated staffs," Osterloh said the manager magazin (release date May 22). "Do we need ever again consolidated production board, we need a long-term responsible for the Group Sales Director?" Osterloh gave examples. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn announced internally to present to October a new structure of the company. Details he had not called.
The employee representatives at Volkswagen for half a year already discussed with the Executive Board on a better corporate structure, Osterloh said. Besides some functionally responsible management board members such as financial and personnel manager the committee should continue to belong to the most important brand managers and the chairman of the Truck-Holding, the council boss explained the position of workers. Brand groups are the future only useful if their chiefs then 'think the meaning of the Group and act "in, added the council boss in the interview. It would often costly deviations required by the modular, "to make the cars supposedly a little nicer."
Osterloh criticized the power of corporate headquarters
Osterloh criticized the power of the corporate headquarters. "Here in Wolfsburg some believe they know what cars want to drive the Brazilians, what cars the Americans and the Indians fell," said the council boss the manager magazin. ". The strange thing is that these cars then sometimes not meet the tastes of customers with more responsibility to the regions there might be the Budget Car already; not only for China but also for Brazil." The Budget Car is a cheap VW, with the CEO Winterkorn wants to open up new groups of buyers. The board has not yet decided on the project, despite several attempts.
The resignation of Ferdinand Piëch will sometimes overrated, Osterloh said the manager magazin on. "Here not every decision has been made in Salzburg," he added. Also "at the Volkswagen CEO requires a certain distance to the Supervisory Board". Just so he could act freely. Piëch had resigned before less than a month after a dispute with CEO Winterkorn. Osterloh said it was not been able to settle this dispute.
The council boss was asked first by the then chairman of the board and then also by Piëch CEO Winterkorn almost a year ago, if he wanted to go as a personnel manager in the Executive Board. The offer is valid on. Osterloh joined a change is not enough. "That would be an interesting challenge," he said. The question did not arise at present but. "We will decide in November on the succession," he added, and there are enough people in the group that were suitable for the task. The contract of the current personnel director Horst Neumann expires at the end of the year. He is 65 years old and does not intend to extension.