Tyre maker and automotive systems manufacturer Continental has called upon the government of its homeland to adopt immigration policy that is more beneficial to German businesses and the population as a whole. In a statement published today, the company opines that the country’s social systems are “threatening to collapse” and living standards endangered if Germany’s government doesn’t change course.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co’s Malaysian tyre factory has been under scrutiny for at least two years following questions relating to working conditions. At the end of November, US Department of Homeland Security officials interviewed local staff as part of investigations that “could lead to US prosecutions”, according to Reuters, which added Goodyear faces “related lawsuits and two ongoing investigations by regulators in Malaysia and the United States, each looking into potential exploitation of foreign workers.”
In response to the investigation and related reporting, Goodyear issued the following statement: “Goodyear takes seriously any allegations of improper behaviour and is committed to ensuring that our business practices and those of our associates, our supply chain, and our vendors adhere to both our policies and all applicable legal requirements.”
Michelin North America has been ranked America’s best large employer by Forbes magazine. Naming the tyre maker the top company in its America’s Best Employers 2018 survey, Forbes commented that “Michelin may not be the first organisation that comes to mind when you think about corporate social responsibility, but its business model centres on sustainability.” The publication also noted that Michelin is a member of the United Nations Global Compact and acts as corporate partner to numerous good causes, also offering its employees the opportunity to participate in volunteering efforts.
In February, Continental announced plans to build a new commercial vehicle tyre plant in the US state of Mississippi and shared that the US$1.4 billion project would eventually create some 2,500 jobs. Construction of the plant is not scheduled to begin until 2018 and production won’t get underway until the end of the following year, however concerns have already arisen and even a protest held over the potential makeup of the plant’s construction team.
Following confirmation that ChemChina is set to buy Pirelli, the Italian manufacturer’s CEO, Marco Tronchetti Provera, has sought to re-assure employees that “the agreement with the Chinese will have no impact on employment”. Specifically this means R&D will remain in Italy, for example. For his part, Tronchetti was characteristically upbeat about the deal: “The opportunity with a partner like ChemChina is for the company to become bigger and to have a more effective penetration of the Asian market.”
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