Thorsten Gröger, chief labor negotiator, said the complexity of VW’s problems may require further talks, to which unions are open, with a view to reaching an agreement before Christmas. Gröger also added that if no progress is made on a compromise during the negotiations, workers are ready to escalate their protests and start a full-scale strike.
Gröger told employees that There will be only one response to the drastic cost cuts planned by the management – a strike. “We will gather strength over Christmas, recharge our batteries, and then in 2025 we will face the management with strikes that will shake the management’s tall office building,” Gröger said.
Warning strikes cost a lot
Last week, almost 100,000. workers left their positions after management rejected a union proposal that included cutting dividends and cutting some bonuses.
Arne Meiswinkel, VW management’s chief negotiator, reiterated the company’s position on Monday morning, saying any solution must reduce excess capacity and lower production costs in a sustainable way. VW management is seeking to fill a €4 billion gap in its austerity program worth a total of €17 billion for the VW brand and related entities.
Deadlock and strikes are costly for VW. Two hours of suspended production on four assembly lines at VW’s main plant in Wolfsburg means a loss of approximately 400 to 600 vehicles.
