Shock for employees

KTM cannot transfer salaries after all

More than 3600 employees are affected at the three companies that have slipped into insolvency.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

A shock just a few days before Christmas for KTM's employees, who are already under a great deal of strain due to the company's insolvency. The motorcycle manufacturer is apparently unable to keep its promise to pay the majority of December salaries before December 24th, as the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor reported.

A few days after the insolvency proceedings were opened, KTM wanted to transfer a 90 percent advance of the December salary to the employees. This then turned into just the money for one working day in November and one twelfth of the Christmas bonus. The majority of the December salary was supposed to follow before Christmas in any case, it was then said.

Apparently this will now come to nothing, as the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor announced on Friday. According to the employees' representatives, there is not enough liquidity to make the transfer. "There is simply no more handshake quality with the management of KTM," says Chamber of Labor President Andreas Stangl angrily.

This is not only a heavy blow for the employees. It also increases the worries that have spread in view of the dimension of debt at KTM. More and more people are doubting whether the restructuring can succeed at all. Word from the company is that the December salaries will now simply be transferred at the end of the month as usual.

December 13 is the last day of production for the time being
Today, Friday, December 13, is the last day of motorcycle production in the Innviertel region for the time being. The early shutdown for Christmas will then begin, followed by the production stop for January and February. Production is not scheduled to start up again until March - but then only in one-shift operation.