war in Ukraine
Daimler Truck stops activities in Russia
Daimler Truck ends its business activities in Russia. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
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Daimler Truck has been cooperating with the Russian truck manufacturer Kamaz for almost ten years. This should be over now. The consequences do not go far enough for the works council.
The world’s largest truck manufacturer Daimler Truck has suspended all business activities in Russia for the time being because of the Ukraine war.
“As a company, we stand for peaceful global cooperation and categorically reject any form of military force,” said a company spokesman on Monday in Stuttgart. The “Handelsblatt” (Monday) had previously reported that Daimler Truck had stopped its cooperation with the Russian armored car manufacturer Kamaz.
Daimler Truck works council chief Michael Brecht is not enough. The cessation of business is a first important decision. “We, as the general works council of Daimler Truck, also believe it is appropriate for Daimler to divest itself of all shares in Kamaz AG,” said Brecht. According to him, that would be an important political signal. You can’t just go back to business as usual now and take later economic consequences into account.
Since 2012 cooperation with Kamaz
According to Daimler Truck, it has been cooperating with the Russian truck manufacturer Kamaz since 2012, which it supplies with parts for civilian vehicles. These deliveries have now been discontinued. “We have never had anything to do with Kamaz military vehicles,” emphasized the company’s spokesman. He added: “We are dismayed by the military violence in Ukraine, the suffering of the people and are deeply concerned for peace in Europe.”
Like any other company, Daimler Truck evaluates the business relationships with Russian partners at all levels, the spokesman said. This also applies to the joint venture Daimler Kamaz Rus, which is owned equally by the Russian and German companies and employs around 1,000 people in Moscow and Chelny (Tartastan). Only non-military trucks and cabs are built there. Production there was shut down by the German side.
The spokesman explained that the economic consequences of the step, which has to be checked again and again, are manageable: The Russian market only accounts for around one percent of global sales by Daimler Trucks.