Volkswagen faces major disruptions as nearly 100,000 workers join last strike
Volkswagen employees demonstrate outside a commercial car plant in Hanover, Germany, on Dec. 2, 2024. (AFP Photo)
The German metalworkers union, IG Metall, reports around 100,000 people in nine plants across the country joined two-hour strikes at Volkswagen’s plants on Monday (Dec. 2), against projected wage cuts and potential layoffs.
“This is the first strong wave of a winter of protests. Volkswagen must abandon these disastrous plans and come to its senses. Otherwise, our colleagues will deliver an appropriate response,” said Thorsten Groeger, IG Metall’s chief negotiator, on Tuesday.
Factory shutdowns unprecedented in Volkswagen’s history
For the first time in its 87-year history, Volkswagen has raised the possibility of closing plants in Germany as part of its strategy to cut costs and increase profitability.
European automakers are currently grappling with weak demand, high production costs, intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers, and slower-than-expected adoption of electric vehicles.
Last week, the union suggested cost-saving measures that could save €1.5 billion ($1.58 billion), including suspending bonuses for 2025 and 2026.
However, Volkswagen’s management dismissed these proposals, labeling them as unrealistic and merely postponing the inevitable.
