Thousands of workers at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg headquarters began a warning strike on Monday. The works council accuses shareholders of prioritizing multimillion-dollar profits while workers face job insecurity and possible layoffs.
Whistling and cheering echoed Monday. WolfsburgWorkers staged a protest at Volkswagen’s headquarters in Germany. Tens of thousands of employees Volkswagen They stopped production every few hours throughout Germany. Negotiations between the automaker and unions failed.
Volkswagen plans to close three factories, We laid off thousands of people and cut wages by 10% They wanted to save costs, citing stagnant automotive demand, increasing labor costs, raw material shortages and delays in the transition to electric vehicles.
Unions want a “fair solution”
The Wolfsburg strike began with harsh criticism of the shareholders by the works council. porsche you Pieceaccusing him of obtaining billions of profits in the last decade While workers are now facing this possibility mass layoffs and pay cuts.
In Germany, works councils are elected bodies that represent workers’ interests directly to management and operate independently of unions. VW’s works council is calling on the company to find a fair solution that will prevent job losses and factory closures.
Christian KoziolA Volkswagen employee with more than 40 years of service, he is deeply concerned about the future of Wolfsburg: “What about our children? Where will they work in the future? This is very worrying,” he said.euronews’.
Commenting on the impact of political decisions on the automobile industry, Koziol realized the importance of climate protection and said: “Looking back, we must admit that Emphasis on CO2 limits, Regulatory compliance and possible sanctions are likely limited to many companies in their decision making. To meet these standards, they had no choice but to turn to e-mobility. “This affects the entire industry,” Koziol said.
He also questioned: subsidy policies “Was it a mistake to end the support? Was it a mistake to give such high support in the beginning and then suddenly stop it? All of this affects the automotive industry.”
The atmosphere remains tense
The mood in Wolfsburg is gloomy as talks between the union and VW continue next Monday. Union also threatens more strikes if an agreement is not reached.
There is an early election in February and the automotive industry is largely The backbone of the German economy, therefore it seems more likely that the country will vote for a change of leadership. But he demand drop It not only affects Germany. Italy, France and Belgium They also face a dramatic decline in sales, risking wider economic instability across the eurozone.
