Consultation process at Winterthur location completed

The focus is on the reintegration of affected employees with the support of the Regional Employment Centre (RAV) as well as a job centre and the avoidance of hardship cases.

On January 29, 2020, Rieter announced its intention to discontinue the assembly of machines at the Winterthur location due to structural changes in the market situation. The consultation process with employee representatives was completed today, March 11, 2020. After intensive discussion and detailed examination of the submitted proposals, the discontinuation of assembly and the associated reduction of 87 jobs were confirmed.

The final position was communicated to the employee representatives and the Office for Economy and Labor of the Canton of Zurich. Rieter’s employees were informed of the result. The decision will be implemented gradually during 2020.

Rieter has a comprehensive social plan. The focus is on the reintegration of affected employees with the support of the Regional Employment Centre (RAV) as well as a job centre and the avoidance of hardship cases. The company intends to reduce the headcount by means of workforce turnover and early retirement, however some layoffs will be unavoidable.

Rieter is the world’s leading supplier of systems for short-staple fibre spinning. Based in Winterthur (Switzerland), the company develops and manufactures machinery, systems and components used to convert natural and manmade fibres and their blends into yarns. Rieter is the only supplier worldwide to cover both spinning preparation processes and all four end spinning processes currently established on the market. Furthermore, Rieter is a leader in the field of precision winding machines. With 16 manufacturing locations in ten countries, the company employs a global workforce of some 4,590, about 21 per cent of whom are based in Switzerland.