BERLIN (Reuters) – Volkswagen (ETR:) workers will go on warning strikes on Monday at plants across Germany, labour union IG Metall said, marking the first large-scale walkouts at Volkswagen’s domestic operations since 2018.
The start of the strikes represents a further escalation of a dispute between Europe’s top carmaker and its workers over mass layoffs, pay cuts and possible plant closures – drastic measures the company says it cannot rule out in the face of Chinese competition and cooling consumer demand.
Labour representatives at VW had on Nov. 22 voted for limited strikes at German operations from early December after talks over wages and plant closures failed to achieve a breakthrough.
“If necessary, this will be the toughest collective bargaining battle Volkswagen has ever seen,” IG Metall negotiator Thorsten Groeger said in a statement.
The carmaker said it continues to rely on constructive dialogue to find a sustainable solution.
“Volkswagen respects the right of employees to take part in a warning strike,” a spokesperson said in reply to the union’s announcement, adding that the company had taken steps in advance to ensure a basic level of supplies to customers and minimise the impact of the strike.
Warning strikes in Germany usually last from a few hours up to a day.
