Volkswagen to resume limited vehicle production

MANILA: Volkswagen is scheduled to resume the production of vehicles in its global manufacturing plants at decreased capacity for the months of April and May. This is after the temporary suspension of operations over five weeks ago in line with the strict social distancing measures set to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Production will resume in the Volkswagen passenger car facilities in Slovakia starting April 20. The manufacturing plants in the USA, Russia, Spain, Portugal, and Germany will follow suit in the week after April 27. Also, the production facilities in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa are scheduled to resume by May.

Meanwhile, production has already begun gradually in the Volkswagen Group components plants in England from April 6, followed by the manufacturing facilities in Poland and some areas in Germany from April 14. The purpose of this staggered resumption of production, specifically in its group components plants, is to protect component supplies for the manufacturing of vehicles in China.

The step-by-step resumption of production will be based on the current availability of automobile components, the operational modes of production, the developments in terms of sales, and the conditions that the European government has established. Independent of such aspects, adherence to stringent health and safety measures for the protection of the employees will remain the top priority of the company.

According to the chair of the VWCV Works Council, Bertina Murkovic, the resumption of production is a good sign for the global economy and the public; that Volkswagen will serve as an example of a company that has decided to move forward after its temporary shutdown weeks ago. Aside from this, the company will closely monitor updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the past weeks, a 100-point plan has been created within the Volkswagen Group  to enable the resumption of vehicle production while completely taking into account the health of the employees. These measures are also applicable to external suppliers and companies working on its various factories.

Thomas Edig, VWCV board of management member, explains that the temporary suspension of commercial vehicle production during the COVID-19 outbreak was the right thing to do at that time. The employment of this specific initiative has been successful. Nevertheless, during the resumption of production, Volkswagen will continue to enforce hygiene and safety measures more extensively.

As an important component of the resumption procedure, the company is widening the precautionary health policies significantly based on the health and safety recommendations from the government. Manufacturing methods are being streamlined, and strict minimum distances, as well as enhanced health standards are also being implemented in all locations.

The stringent measures involve tangible guidelines on maintaining distances and hygiene, obligatory nose and mouth shielding in places where it is not possible to keep a 1.5-meter distance, regular cleaning of the manufacturing plants, alternating the beginning and end of shifts to prevent contact, and requiring all employees to determine their body temperatures before doing their daily tasks.

Ralf Brandstätter, COO of the Volkswagen brand, pointed out that Volkswagen is doing its best in extensively preparing for these stringent measures for the last three weeks. Aside from the development of a comprehensive list of regulations for the prioritization of their workers’ health, the company has also decided to proceed with the reconstruction of their supply chains.

On this account, short-term work will resume in the facilities of Volkswagen. Nevertheless, the number of workers that have been affected due to short-time work will be subsequently decreased in line with the restarting of production.

In a statement of Thomas Schmall, the CEO of the Volkswagen Group Components brand, the gradual reopening of their production plants is necessary for the safeguarding of their supplies on various locations worldwide. Moreover, they will take into account extensive measures in delivering supplies and components to the vehicle facilities of the auto brand.

Before reopening its plants worldwide, Volkswagen is also considering consultations with their production plants in China, where a massive number of reliable health measures have been successfully done. To date, 32 out of the 33 plants in China have officially resumed production.

Currently, there are no COVID-19 cases reported among the workers in the Volkswagen production facilities in China. However, the company continues to monitor the global situation for any developments. Furthermore, additional measures will be implemented based on the procedures and plans brought up within the Volkswagen Group and recommendations from the authorities.

Also read:  Production suspended as auto industry braces for Coronavirus (COVID-19) onslaught