“This has placed enormous pressure on prices and significantly intensified competition. We therefore need to implement the Future Plan’s measures (Group Target Picture 2030) quickly and systematically to boost our competitiveness. Given the news from the automotive sector as a whole, I think everybody understands that we need to act now,” claimed Meiswinkel.

IG Metall representative Thorsten Groeger said “This is a bad foul on the workforce and again a shameless attempt to reach into the wallets of the employees. Volkswagen is trying to unload the Group’s economic challenges at those who keep the company running every day. While profits are privatized, entrepreneurial costs and risks are now to be shifted to the workforce. We’re not going to accept that. If you want to put the employee in the bag, you have to expect a corresponding dispute.”

Daniela Cavallo, Chairman of the General Works Council of Volkswagen AG, said, “The Management Board apparently believes that it can blackmail us: simply threaten plants with the shutdown and then additionally want to enforce the next tariff cuts in the next step. But that bill won’t work out. Already in 2024, we went to the limit of what can be communicated with abandonment across all groups of employees. That won’t be repeated. But for this, we all have to make the board feel in the tariff round that it is on the wrong track. I expect a fierce debate at the turn of the year.”

[Volkswagen AG and IG Metall have agreed to meet for further talks in the second half of October. Fasten your seat belts this is going to be a rough ride – AutoCrat.]