VW is probably planning factory closures and massive job cuts. The works council and the IG Metall union are already announcing resistance.
In a press release, the general works council writes of “historical dimensions” about which the company is keeping employees in the dark. In addition to the plant closures, according to the works council, previous core areas will be sold. The board should “finally explain itself about all of this.” The works council also recognizes that there is an “acute need for action” at VW – but this cannot result in a “unilateral austerity course”.
The general works council chairwoman Daniela Cavallo explains: “The board is concerned about even more: it also wants to separate entire departments and areas. And move the work there abroad or outsource it completely. (…) None of us can still feel safe here!” Uwe Kunstmann, head of the works council at Volkswagen Saxony, threatened at a demonstration in Zwickau that the workforce would shut down VW plants from December. Then there will be a “hot winter”.
The board is serious about its plans, says Cavallo: “This is the plan of the largest German industrial group to start selling out in its home country of Germany.”
According to Cavallo, the remaining employees are threatened with severe salary losses: “The board wants to take away ten percent of the monthly salary of all employees, regardless of whether they are on a tariff, tariff plus or management. Permanently.” There should be no wage increases in 2025 and 2026. The monthly tariff allowance of 167 euros will no longer apply, as will bonus payments for long-term company loyalty.
“This is a deep stab in the heart of the hard-working VW workforce!” said Thorsten Gröger. “We expect that instead of clear-cutting fantasies, Volkswagen and its board of directors will outline viable future concepts at the negotiating table, where employers have so far presented little more than empty phrases.” On Wednesday, VW and the union will meet in Wolfsburg for their second round of collective bargaining. According to Cavallo, VW is calling for a flat rate cut of ten percent and zero rounds in the next two years.
The head of the works council also appealed to politicians: “They have to finally wake up. It’s not enough to just say that we stand by the VW workforce. We need action!”
VW employs around 120,000 people in Germany, around half of them in Wolfsburg. The VW brand operates a total of ten plants in Germany, six of which are in Lower Saxony, three in Saxony and one in Hesse. In September, VW canceled the job security that had been in place for more than 30 years. Redundancies for operational reasons would be possible from mid-2025.