Volkswagen workers across Germany have started warning strikes over possible mass layoffs, pay cuts and the threat of factory closures.
The industrial action, led by union IG Metall, marks the first strikes at Volkswagen’s domestic factories since 2018.
The strikes indicate an intensification of the ongoing dispute between the automaker and its employees.
On November 22, union representatives at Volkswagen voted to launch limited strikes at German operations from early December, after failed negotiations over wage and factory closures.
IG Metall negotiator Thorsten Groeger said: “If necessary, this will be the toughest collective bargaining battle Volkswagen has ever seen.”
“Volkswagen respects the right of employees to participate in a warning strike,” a spokesperson noted, noting the company’s proactive measures to maintain a basic level of supply for customers and mitigate the impact of the strike.
IG Metall revealed that the warning strikes in Germany typically last only a few hours.
The union had previously proposed cost-cutting strategies that could save 1.5 billion euros, including eliminating bonuses for 2025 and 2026, which Volkswagen rejected.
The automaker has called for a 10% pay cut, citing the need to reduce costs and increase profitability to protect its market position against Chinese economic competition and the slump in European vehicle demand.
For the first time in its 87-year history, the company is threatening to close its factories in Germany.
Groeger said: “Volkswagen has set fire to our collective labor agreements and instead of putting out this fire in three collective bargaining negotiations, management is throwing open barrels of gasoline into it.”
Labor representatives and management will meet again on December 9 to continue discussions on a new employment contract for employees at VW AG’s German operations.
The unions remain committed to opposing proposals that do not include a safe future plan for every Volkswagen factory.
“Volkswagen Workers Launch Warning Strikes” was originally created and published by Just Auto, a brand owned by GlobalData.
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