Wolfsburg, Dec. 3, (dpa/GNA) – A day-long wave of strikes at nearly all of carmaker Volkswagen’s plants across Germany ended early on Tuesday morning, with unions saying that nearly 100,000 VW factory workers had taken part in the protests.
The series of two-hour work stoppages were called by the IG Metall trade union to protest against threatened wage cuts, plant closures and mass lay-offs at Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automaker.
The final walk-out by VW employees came during the overnight shift, and work resumed as normal with the start of the regular morning shift on Tuesday.
The strikes, which took place at nine of VW’s 10 factories in Germany, also demonstrated the resolve of auto giant’s German workforce to resist the cuts being pushed by VW management.
Pressure on several fronts
VW bosses contend that deep cuts are needed to keep the carmaker competitive, boost profits and fund needed investments in the brand’s future, including electric vehicles.
According to VW executives, Volkswagen is also suffering from significant excess capacity at its factories in Europe.
VW has been battered by a slump in demand and fierce international competition, particularly in the once-lucrative Chinese market. VW has also struggled to launch and market electric vehicle models.
The trade union counted a total of 98,650 participants, a huge share of the more than 130,000 VW factory workers in the country.
“The first warning strikes were an absolutely resolute signal from the workforce against Volkswagen’s harsh management plans,” said Thorsten Gröger, IG Metall’s chief negotiator.
Almost 100,000 employees had made it loudly clear that they would fight for their jobs, their families and their future, he said: “That was the first, powerful blow in a winter of protest!”
Further talks to come
According to IG Metall, strike participation was dramatically higher than during the last major wave of strikes at Volkswagen in 2018. At the time, according to union figures, more than 50,000 employees took part in brief strikes called at six VW plants.
Further collective bargaining talks between the trade union and VW management are scheduled for next week. Labour leaders have already threatened further escalation if the company isn’t willing to compromise.
Labour leaders are demanding pay raises and job protections, have vowed to fiercely oppose any attempt to close plants.
The company, on the other hand, is demanding an across-the-board pay cut of 10% and has said mass lay-offs remain on the table.
VW brand boss Thomas Schäfer recently said he sees factory closures as necessary to achieve the company’s financial targets.
GNA