The announcements are not yet precise, but the extent of the surgery that the Volkswagen group will undergo was presented by the union member and president of the works council, Daniela Cavallo, to several thousand employees gathered in front of the main factory, in Wolfsburg (Lower Saxony). ). “The board of directors wants to close at least three factories in Germany”he stated during a briefing on Monday, October 28. Dressed in a red jacket, the elected official who is part of the supervisory board called for resistance. “bleeding” unprecedented.
Europe’s largest carmaker, which is also the largest employer in German manufacturing, has been negotiating with unions for two months over its restructuring and cost-cutting plans. But, until now, it was a matter of two and no “at least three” factories threatened. METROme Cavallo did not specify which or how many of the brand’s 120,000 employees in Germany – where the group, which owns Audi, Skoda and Porsche, employs a total of 300,000 people – could be laid off. “All German factories are affected by these projects. Nobody is safe! »he warned, referring to relocation and outsourcing measures.
The most exposed place seems to be Osnabrück (Lower Saxony), where Porsche has given up producing a new model. For the Inovev firm, specialized in automotive market studies, the Dresden (Saxony) factory, practically paralyzed, could also be affected, as well as the Emden (Lower Saxony) factory, in slow motion since it replaced the electric ID.7 . the Passat on the assembly lines. The Passat is currently manufactured in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Volkswagen is also demanding a 10% pay cut, followed by a pay freeze for the next two years, in 2025 and 2026. Discussions on annual increases will resume on Wednesday, October 30, when the group will also present its results for the third year. consecutive. quarter of the year. “We hope that instead of these cost-cutting fantasies, Volkswagen and its management will come to the negotiating table with more viable concepts”, warned Thorsten Gröger, president of the IG Metall union in Lower Saxony.
“The situation is serious”
The automotive group recalls that it has been holding talks with staff representatives since mid-2023, which made it possible to launch a productivity improvement program in December 2023. The deterioration of the market since the beginning of the year requires, according to management, a new, more global restructuring. It estimates that it would be necessary to sell 500,000 more cars per year to fully take advantage of the production capacity of its factories. “One thing is clear: the situation is serious and the responsibility of the social partners is immense. Now it is about working with employee representatives to preserve the future of Volkswagen AG. (…) making specific investments in the future. Without comprehensive measures to restore our competitiveness, we will not be able to finance essential investments in the future.”Gunnar Kilian, member of the board of directors in charge of human resources, said in a statement.
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