Volkswagen strike threat escalates as talks loom
Another Monday, another strike. Volkswagen employees affiliated with the labour unions plan to repeat the protest on December 9. That's when the next round of talks between management and union representatives is scheduled to take place.
According to the IG Metall labour union, workers at as many as nine German factories will stop work for at least four hours. This will be the second warning strike as part of the protest against Volkswagen's plans.
The German giant has found itself in a difficult financial situation, and thus it does not rule out the possibility of closing some plants. It also wants to reduce employees' salaries by 10%.
During Wednesday's conference, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume defended his decisions, maintaining that they are necessary in the current situation. He added that management cannot operate "in a fantasy world," but must make real decisions.
"It borders on mockery when Oliver Blume stands in front of the workforce and wishes them a Merry Christmas, while at the same time, the VW board would prefer to put letters of termination under the Christmas tree for the employees," said IG Metall's chief negotiator, Thorsten Groeger, as quoted by "Automotive News Europe."
"We will now step up our efforts on December 9th and thus increase the pressure on the company at the negotiating table," he added.
