Volkswagen workers in Germany staged rolling two-hour strikes at nine plants, including the Wolfsburg headquarters. The protests oppose planned pay cuts and potential plant closures as part of the company’s cost-saving drive.
Euronews correspondent Liv Stroud reported, “Whistles and shouts echoed across Wolfsburg as tens of thousands of workers joined strikes.” Talks between VW and unions have stalled, prompting widespread industrial action.
Volkswagen plans to close at least three German plants, cut thousands of jobs, and reduce pay by 10%. The company cites rising wages, raw material shortages, and challenges in transitioning to electric vehicles as driving the need for these measures.
Union representatives strongly oppose these proposals. Daniela Cavallo, Volkswagen’s chief employee representative, argued management must also bear responsibility for the company’s difficulties. “We demand contributions from all parties, including management and shareholders,” she said at a rally in Wolfsburg.
Tensions Escalate as Negotiations Continue
The strikes come as IG Metall union leaders and Volkswagen enter critical labor agreement negotiations. The mandatory peace period, banning strikes, ended Sunday, intensifying the conflict.
Volkswagen insists it must reduce costs in Germany to match competitors and its plants in Eastern Europe and South America. Thorsten Gröger, IG Metall’s regional leader in Lower Saxony, warned of a prolonged battle. “This could become one of Volkswagen’s toughest conflicts,” he said.
Volkswagen’s economic challenges include a shrinking European car market, higher production costs, and competition from Chinese automakers. The company’s factories were designed for a market of 16 million annual car sales, but demand has dropped to 14 million.
Thomas Schaefer, Volkswagen brand head, acknowledged the issue: “Strong profits from China masked higher costs for years. Now it’s time to act.”
Strikes began at the Zwickau plant and continued in Braunschweig, Chemnitz, Dresden, Emden, Hanover, Kassel, and Salzgitter. The next negotiations, seen as pivotal, are set for December 9.