The general attitude from Brandstater Group was very odd, as though the collectors were a nuisance ….
It seems BG has a problem with any group they can't control ( ex: collectors, animation producers ), and
that may have its roots in Horst Branstatter's anti-union attitude — which has festered in recent years, contributing to the current
climate of fear. See article that was mentioned in the video:
Kultur der Angst bei Playmobil - Stuttgarter Zeitung [ use Chrome's translate option ]
Quote:
"Arbitrariness, harassment, and bullying, are the order of the day. The experienced trade unionist tells of several Playmobil employees who were laid off, without giving reasons, and then transferred as punishment, over a heated dispute about the interpretation of workplace regulations in hot weather, as well as systematic investigation into employees' union-membership status. Anyone who applies for Christmas bonuses in Zirndorf must present their union card. This way, the employer can find out, by name, who is a union member.(...)
Things got really heated recently. Franconia and Playmobil have not been spared from the high temperatures nationwide, which prompted IG Metall [ Germany and Europe's largest industrial union ] works councils to send out a notice. First they thanked management for setting up water dispensers, then quoted a passage from the workplace regulations. According to which, employees are entitled to a ten-minute “de-heating phase” every hour at room temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. 'This doesn’t mean that you stop working, but rather that you move to a cooler room and carry out simple tasks there,' explains Möller. The outcry over the unionists' 'heat slip' was great. It came not only from management, but also from the general works council, in which IG Metall does not have a say and which is obviously divided."Obviously, this is a far cry from Santa's workshop — more like: the first ring of Hell!
...Excessive control takes the fun out — along with goodwill and positive contributions, let alone
creativity — doesn't it?
So, maybe the solution
really is to move production to some authoritarian hellhole, like...
China! ☺
Fundamentally, I believe it is a management hubris problem (ego). Hopefully,
bankruptcy will force them to make amends, and revise their attitude. The company won't survive long, otherwise, if they remain divided.
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