By Victoria Waldersee

BERLIN, (Reuters) – Several thousand Robert Bosch employees protested in Germany Friday against the planned closures of plants and relocations. These actions are necessary for adapting to the changing market demand for electric vehicles.

Around 3,000 people from different plants gathered in front of a Bosch plant at Buehl. Union IG Metall stated that around 1000 employees in Germany could lose their jobs due to relocations, cuts or new hires by 2025.

Also, workers gathered in Arnstadt where the plant that makes so-called regulators for electric cars – an essential part for the future – was due to shut down at the end the year. It took with it a hundred jobs.

Also, protests took place at Bosch’s Munich factory, where 250 jobs may be moved abroad. But, it was not decided.

Joerg Luntz, plant manager at Munich Fuel Pumps said that “on every fuel pump made in Munich we make losses”, in an email to Reuters.

Bosch’s structural transformation is not something to be taken lightly. Frank Sell from Bosch’s Mobility Solutions division said that while the organization must transform, it must do so in a fair manner and with workers at its core.

Bosch is the largest global automotive supplier. A Bosch spokesperson stated that the goal of Bosch was to work with representatives from the social sector in order to find solutions. This includes establishing new opportunities outside the company and exhausting existing employment opportunities.

Germany unions and others have warned of the potential loss of millions of jobs as a result. A May study estimated that Germany could lose 100,000 jobs in production.