It’s over. The Daimler plant in Marienfelde would not be closed or “looped”, as feared for a year. Those who work there would continue to work if they wanted and were willing to learn. It is undoubtedly a success that some can reserve at their expense. Especially the manpower that went to the barricades when Stuttgart’s plans for Berlin became known and at the same time their “factory manager” left for Tesla in Grünheide. The union has its role because it organized the resistance. Politics certainly played a role. Also because of Tesla. At Brose in Moabit, electric motors are built for bicycles, while BMW makes them for e-scooters. Now oil-free car engines come from here, too. The governor praised the future viability of the city’s industrial jobs. Berlin is back in the race and I don’t have to go to Brandenburg for a new commute.
But it was worth it primarily for the workforce. Employees have always spoken out in favor of change, but have taken to the streets loudly and with remarkable loneliness when the shift should be against them, not them. They are now in. However, it remains unclear whether the new engine is really anything more than a franchise. The ads are too vague for that. Because the promised AMG version is already good for a few thousand pieces a year at best. However, the Marienfelde needs a large-scale production, which Mercedes will not be able to do without, since the electric mobility will have to be more than the electrification of its Protz division. This will also have to be negotiated at Marienfelde in the future. So it’s a hopeful start. It may not be finished yet.
