CATL responds to press reports: No layoffs at Debrecen plant

The Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has responded to media reports claiming that it had begun making significant layoffs at its Debrecen battery plant. The reports also claimed that the company was replacing Hungarian workers with Chinese experts and reviewing the preparation of its second plant unit.

The company has firmly denied any plans for group layoffs and emphasised that reducing the local workforce is not part of their strategy. The company's response is given below without changes.

There are no collective redundancies at CATL, nor any plans to reduce the domestic workforce.

Contrary to press reports, there have been no collective redundancies at CATL in Hungary, and no such action is planned for the future. The company is committed to employing a local workforce and will ensure that production processes are carried out by as many Hungarian workers as possible.

In fact, our team in Debrecen has grown recently, surpassing 800 people, and we expect this growth to continue in the second half of the year.

Any misunderstandings may be due to the temporary arrival of Chinese specialists in Debrecen to assist with the technological and organisational preparations for the start of production. Their role is to share knowledge and provide training to ensure that, in the long term, as many positions as possible are filled by Hungarian workers. This goal serves the common interests of Debrecen, the region, and CATL.

The company explained that any misunderstandings might stem from the temporary presence of Chinese experts in Debrecen during the pre-production technological and organisational preparation phase. These specialists are there to transfer knowledge and support training, enabling Hungarian employees to fill as many positions as possible in the long term.

The investment is on schedule, and CATL is committed to its investment in Debrecen. The company is working hard to ensure that its largest European factory continues to be a long-term success story for both itself and Hungary.

This is not the first time that CATL has recently had to refute media reports. The company has previously addressed speculation about the suspension of the second phase of the plant.

 During a background discussion in May, company representatives stated that there were 650 full-time employees, which, if this number refers to full-time employees, would make the currently communicated figure of 800 employees an apparent increase, although this is unclear.

The report of layoffs seemed particularly unusual, given that company representatives had indicated that they would require around 2,000 workers by the end of the year, when production of the battery cells begins. To reach this target, the company has also employed foreign workers, with the first group of Filipino workers arriving in May. Their number could potentially reach 500 by the end of the year.