Union IG Metall aims to intensify actions with a fresh strike at Volkswagen
For this coming Monday, IG Metall is announcing a fresh wave of intense warnings strikes at Volkswagen. Most production lines across all VW sites in Germany, aside from Osnbrück, are expected to momentarily halt operations. And this time, the halt will be prolonged compared to previous instances.
The IG Metall is urging a repeat aggressive warning strike at Volkswagen on Monday, while wage negotiations continue. Concurrently, there will be temporary work pauses at almost all German VW sites, except for Osnbrück, as announced by the union. A demonstration is planned in Wolfsburg, where the fourth round of wage talks at Volkswagen is scheduled to occur.
Thorsten Gröger, the primary negotiator for IG Metall in Lower Saxony, reflected on the initial warning strike at the beginning of the week, stating, "Around 100,000 striking workers delivered a strong message to the VW board at the start of December: Future instead of austerity measures!" Gröger declared, "We will now escalate the pressure on the company during negotiations."
Scheduled to last four hours, instead of the previous two, and repeated in every shift, the strike this time will be more prolonged. Influenced sites in addition to Wolfsburg are Zwickau, Hannover, Emden, Kassel-Baunatal, Braunschweig, Salzgitter, Chemnitz, and Dresden's "Glass Manufactory."
Strike Begins in Wolfsburg
The strike proceedings in Wolfsburg will commence at 10:30 a.m. Two hours afterwards, the fourth round of wage talks for the Volkswagen company agreement will kick off at the Volkswagen Arena. In addition to Gröger and VW works council chairwoman Daniela Cavallo, IG Metall chairwoman Christiane Benner is also expected to speak during the protest rally directly before the management building.
Last Monday, around 100,000 employees participated in a two-hour warning strike, with the same sites affected this time as well. Nevertheless, Volkswagen's factory in Osnbrück is currently exempt from the under-negotiation company wage agreement.
As the wage dispute concerning wage reductions, plant closures, and redundancies has intensified since September, the negotiators have adopted a more rigid stance. At the works meeting a few days ago, CEO Oliver Blume reiterated the austerity course but did not discuss specific plant closures.
Gröger expressed disappointment towards Blume's appearance. "It almost seems comical when Oliver Blume stands before the workforce and wishes them a merry Christmas while the VW board simultaneously considers placing redundancy notices under the Christmas tree for their employees," he said in his statement.
VW Demands Wage Cuts
Contrarily, Cavallo called on the board to retreat from their highest demands. Plant closures, massive layoffs, and slashes to monthly pay remain off-limits for the employees' side. She anticipates a pivotal moment in the subsequent round of talks, either a resolution or further escalation.
The debate surrounds the wages of approximately 120,000 employees at Volkswagen AG plants, for which a separate company wage agreement applies. Additionally, more than 10,000 employees at VW Sachsen, who had an adjustment to the company wage agreement agreed to in 2021, are also involved.
At present, VW refuses to accept any wage increases and instead insists on a 10% wage decrease due to the company's predicament. Plant closures and redundancies are also under consideration. Job security has been withdrawn.
According to the works council, a minimum of three plants and tens of thousands of jobs are at risk. VW attributes these reductions to high costs and low utilization. Given the weak demand for new automobiles, VW must intensify its cost reduction measures. The works council estimates the company aims to save an additional five billion euros.
In line with their escalating pressure, IG Metall is pressing for a repeat aggressive warning strike at Volkswagen, extending beyond the previous two-hour duration in every shift. Concurrently, temporary work pauses will continue at nearly all German VW sites, except for Osnbrück, as the wage negotiations continue to stumble upon contentious issues such as wage cuts and plant closures.
