No need for jokes here, this is good work by Audi to try to help alleviate the staggering refugee crisis in Europe. The German car maker has pledged to donate €1 million (about £736,000) towards relief efforts, and the money will be put to use in schemes and projects suggested and worked on by Audi employees at the company's factories in Brussels, Neckarsulm, Ingolstadt and, most crucially, Gyro in Hungary. The money comes from the company's Audi Volunteers ("Audi Ehrensache") initiative, and the idea is that employees and staff at those locations can suggest and create plans that will help those refugees arriving from Syria. The plan has already seen homes renovated and refugee children brought for days out.
"We have been shocked by the great suffering of the refugees in Europe," said Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG. "People at our doorsteps are in need - and we therefore want to offer help quickly and avoid red tape." The money from the corporate donation will flow to local aid projects at the Audi production sites." We are aware of how dramatically the situation of the refugees has developed locally," said Thomas Sigi, Board Member for Human Resources, who added: "With the emergency aid we are trying to show our solidarity as well as practice social responsibility at our corporate sites."
Audi General Works Council Chairman Peter Mosch: "We must not and we will not stand passively by when it comes to helping our fellow human beings in this desperate situation. We Audi employees are always there to help when it's important - and it's more important now than ever before."
Audi has also said it will initiate plans to start helping refugees into long-term employment, although the company did not specify whether this meant employment within Audi.
Neil Briscoe - 11 Sep 2015