German trade union IG Metall said Volkswagen workers will hold warning strikes at factories in Germany on December 2, the first large-scale strike in Volkswagen’s German domestic business since 2018.
IG Metall said that due to the conflict between labor and management over the future of Volkswagen’s German business, workers at nine Volkswagen car and parts factories in Germany will strike for several hours on December 2, which will lead to assembly line shutdowns.
Thousands of people are expected to gather at Volkswagen’s headquarters in Wolfsburg. Demonstrations are also expected at the Hanover plant (which has about 14,000 employees) and other parts and car plants, including Emden, Salzgitter and Brunswick.
The launch of the strike marks a further escalation of the dispute between the European automaker and its workers, with the focus of the debate focusing on large-scale layoffs, pay cuts and potential factory closures. Volkswagen previously said it would not rule out more drastic measures in the face of intensified competition in the Chinese market and cooling consumer demand.
Volkswagen’s labor representatives voted on November 22 to hold limited strikes at German factories from early December after negotiations on wages and factory closures failed to make a breakthrough.
IG Metall negotiator Thorsten Groeger said in a statement: “If necessary, this negotiation will be the most difficult collective negotiation Volkswagen has ever encountered.”
Volkswagen said the company will continue to seek sustainable solutions through constructive dialogue. “The company respects the right of employees to participate in warning strikes,” a Volkswagen spokesman said in response to the union’s statement. He also added that Volkswagen has taken measures in advance to ensure basic supplies to customers and minimize the impact of the strike.