Volkswagen bosses and workers’ representatives started crunch talks Wednesday about the ailing German auto titan’s drastic cost-cutting plans, with thousands of staff staging a protest and unions vowing “bitter resistance”.
VW employees, who were bussed in from plants across Germany, carried banners criticising management and created a deafening chorus of whistles to show their disapproval.
Europe’s biggest carmaker shocked the group’s 120,000 employees this month when it said it was weighing the unprecedented step of closing factories in Germany as well as deep job cuts.
The move has sparked fury from staff representatives, who accuse VW’s corporate leaders of mismanaging the 10-brand group and putting profits above building a sustainable future for the manufacturer.
The trouble at Volkswagen is also a heavy blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government at a time the domestic economy is already struggling.
After Volkswagen’s bombshell announcement, negotiations on a new pay deal were brought forward …