Tariff agreement: KUKA strengthens Augsburg location with investments and excludes lay-offs for operational reasons

Automation specialist KUKA, IG Metall, and the works council at KUKA's Augsburg site have agreed on a comprehensive package for the future of the company's long-established headquarters. The agreement shows that constructive social partnership can enable viable solutions even in economically challenging times.

16 Aralık 2025

The agreement focuses on comprehensive investments in automated production and logistics in the robotics division, as well as in future technologies, in the high double-digit million euro range, the strengthening of research and development, and the exclusion of lay-offs for operational reasons until July 2029. Augsburg will thus remain KUKA's central production location in Europe. At the same time, collectively agreed wage increases and additional employee benefits will be postponed or temporarily reduced.

Christoph Schell, CEO of the KUKA Group, emphasizes: "This step is an important milestone on the way to positioning KUKA as a globally sustainable company, especially at its home location in Augsburg. Together with our social partners, we have found a solution that makes investments in the location sustainable. This agreement shows that responsible corporate management and dialogue based on partnership lead to solutions that all sides can support." In the future, the focus will be even more consistently on aligning structures and internal regulations with a market- and innovation-oriented corporate culture.

In addition, future technologies such as intent-based robotics will take center stage. This refers to the specification of a goal – for example, the assembly of a product or the picking of components – which one or more robots then pursue and execute independently with the help of AI. Until now, all substeps had to be programmed individually for this purpose.

Carola Leitmeir, who led the negotiations for the KUKA works council, confirms: "We are aware that the cuts will have a noticeable impact on employees due to the postponement and elimination of collectively agreed benefits. Nevertheless, this agreement sends a strong signal for the future viability of the Augsburg location. We have thus succeeded in limiting the number of job cuts. In addition, the exclusion of lay-offs for operational reasons means that this will now be done in a socially acceptable manner. The company's assur-ance that non-unionized employees and managing directors will also make the same percentage contribution was a basic requirement for us."

Key elements of the agreement

KUKA is implementing state-of-the-art automated production and logistics at its Augsburg site. Augsburg will thus remain the central European production site for the group's most important robotics product lines. In addition, strategic development projects will be anchored at the site, thereby strengthening research and development capacities in the long term. This will consolidate Augsburg's role as a center of innovation within the KUKA Group.

Another focus is on the targeted development of expertise in future-oriented fields. KUKA is investing in the further development of its workforce in areas such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), software, and artificial intelligence. In addition, more flexible working time and remuneration models are being introduced. Training is also being strengthened. The Fit4Growth efficiency program is being further implemented. Staff reductions are being carried out in a socially responsible manner. KUKA has ruled out redundancies for operational reasons until July 31, 2029. Likewise, no further relocations of functions will be carried out that would lead to additional staff reductions.

Contribution of the workforce to securing the location

Employees are making a substantial contribution to securing the location by deferring wage increases and temporarily reducing one-off payments under collective agreements. Non-unionized employees are making contributions of the same amount.

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