Audi and Volkswagen Mexico Further Delay Production

Puebla's Governor Miguel Barbosa issued a decree on Friday that affirmed conditions were not met for the automotive industry and construction sector to resume operations as scheduled on June 15. "With the objective to mitigate dispersion and transmission of COVID-19 and because we are still in the growth stage of the pandemic, which indicates maximum alert, it is declared that the state of Puebla does not meet the conditions to resume activities in the automotive industry and the construction sector," the decree says. 

Yesterday, Governor Barbosa publicly thanked Audi and Volkswagen for "their positive reaction following the state government’s decree (...) and for postponing their activities in the state," said the state government on Twitter. 

En videoconferencia esta mañana el Gobernador @MBarbosaMX, agradeció a @Volkswagen_MX y @AudideMexico, por la reacción positiva ante el decreto del gobierno estatal para reconocer que no hay condiciones para el regreso a las actividades y posponer sus labores en la entidad.

— Gobierno de Puebla (@Gob_Puebla) June 15, 2020

Andreas Lehe, President of Audi México, said yesterday on a statement that the health and safety of all collaborators is Audi México’s No. 1 priority. “We were one of the first companies to act to avoid contagions inside our facilities. Starting March 23, we began planning an eventual return where we always pondered the integrity of the entire workforce." 

The premium brand of Volkswagen group has more than 5,200 collaborators at its plant in San Jose Chapa. Since Monday June 15, the company allowed up to the 30 percent of its collaborators to return to the plant to receive training on the health protocols established by health authorities. Volkswagen will follow this strategy starting today. 

"The company and the union have agreed today will be the return to the plant," said Volkswagen on a statement. "We will continue working at reduced capacity on training, preparation activities and fulfillment of productive processes in the upcoming days so that our staff can count with all the knowledge and tools needed to resume their activities with the best conditions possible," Volkswagen said.

As of June 14, Puebla's government reports 5,418 COVID-19 cases in the state and 718 deaths. Almost 99 percent of the cases where due to community transmissions. On June 7, there were 4,220 cases, meaning that in one week there were almost 1,200 new cases. In the country, as of June 14, there were 146,837 confirmed cases and 17,141 deaths.