Mercedes-Benz

A cargo ship carrying Mercedes Sprinters ran aground on a sandbank at the Düsseldorf harbor entrance and was cleared to continue to Rotterdam after partial unloading. Low water levels in the Rhine and inadequate dredging of the harbor basin are cited as causes, which complicated salvage operations and drew criticism from logistics firm Mosolf. If Mercedes sells the Ludwigsfelde plant and production in Europe becomes further centralized, Düsseldorf could become a critical bottleneck for Sprinter deliveries. » Plus sur wiwo.de

The board of Mercedes-Benz will restart the severance program in December, as sales in China are falling so sharply that strong results in other regions cannot offset the shortfall. Management plans further cost-saving measures to limit the impact of the China slump on the group's key figures. » Plus sur wiwo.de

Mercedes-Benz is relaunching its voluntary program for employees in indirect areas; the program is expected to start in December and targets employees covered by collective agreements and some managers. Offers will be made under the principle of double voluntariness, meaning both employees and the company must agree to any departure. The move is part of a savings plan to reduce labor costs and respond to slumping profits; Mercedes employs 108,000 people in Germany and has not set a target for headcount reductions. » Plus sur n-tv.de