Volkswagen digs in as workers threaten strikes over plant closures
Company has said plant closures may be needed in Germany
Unions have vowed to fight any such moves
German industry struggling with high costs, competition
Union threatens strikes from December
Recasts with statements after talks
By Christina Amann, Christoph Steitz and Matthias Williams
HANOVER, Germany, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Volkswagen VOWG_p.DE flatly rejected union demands after the first round of bitterly contested talks ended without agreement on Wednesday, as workers at Europe's largest automaker threatened strikes against layoffs and possible plant closures.
Tensions at the carmaking giant are running high as the spectre of factory closures, which would be a first for the company in Germany, has set it on a collision course with the powerful IG Metall union.
IG Metall must also negotiate new labour deals for the core VW brand's 130,000 workers in Germany, after the group this month ended agreements that had safeguarded employment at six of its plants in western Germany since the mid-1990s.
Worker representatives have vowed to fight job cuts, blaming top management and the government's faltering support for Volkswagen's ills.
The VW brand's personnel chief said the division must cut costs to stay competitive.
"This will require a contribution from the employees," Arne Meiswinkel said after the talks in Hanover.
IG Metall has threatened strikes from the start of December and is insisting on a 7% pay rise.
"Site closures and mass layoffs remain on the table," said Thorsten Groeger, IG Metall's chief negotiator with Volkswagen. No date has been set for the next round.
Works council chief Daniela Cavallo said workers had not moved one bit in their demands. Earlier she wentback into Volkswagen's 87-year history, referencing the expropriation of trade union funds during the Third Reich.
"With an average interest rate, this capital, which the Nazis had robbed from the labour movement at the time, would have generated billions of euros over the decades. This money, our money, is in the Volkswagen Group today," she said.
She stressed a preparedness to compromise, but added it was up to management to find a solution.
Some of the more than 3,000 workers outside the venue held up signs saying: "Shortage of skilled workers on the board - we are looking for experts." Others lit flares and one was dressed as the grim reaper.
Volkswagen argues that high energy and labour costs in Germany put it at a disadvantage to European peers as well as Chinese rivals that have set their sights on a big slice of the region's electric vehicle market.
'FALLING BEHIND'
"International competition is threatening to overtake us," Meiswinkel said. "We must work together to restructure our company. The situation is serious."
The talks are taking place at Schloss Herrenhausen, a 19th century residence for Hanoverian royalty.
They come as Germany's industry as a whole is struggling with high costs, labour shortages and rising competition, leading heavyweights including BASF BASFn.DE and Thyssenkrupp TKAG.DE to consider paring back activities.
Other German automakers are feeling the pain too, with Mercedes-Benz MBGn.DE and BMW BMWG.DE cutting their profit forecasts in recent weeks due to weak demand in China.
The standoff at Volkswagen has worried Germany's coalition government, which is already struggling to lift economic growth and its own popularity ahead of federal elections next year.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck said last week that he wanted to help Volkswagen through a period of cost-cutting without having to resort to site closures, but said there were limits.
Stephan Weil, premier of Volkswagen's second-biggest shareholder, the state of Lower Saxony, criticised any prospect of plant closures and expected stakeholders to come up with "more intelligent" solutions.
At the same time, he called for greater support for electric cars after Berlin scrapped subsidies last year.
VW employee Franz Onken could barely contain his rage: "I'm really angry. I don't even know what to say yet. So, if I could, I would kick the board's arse, honestly, quite honestly".
IG Metall's Groeger acknowledged the company faced major challenges but said Volkswagen's success over decades was based on solving problems with employees, not confrontation.
"To first give notice - to smash the china and then wonder at the mess: this is a blatant taboo break - and a historic mistake. Plus it could also cost a lot of money."
Volkswagen's management "should circle one day in their calendars in bold: December 1st. That's not just when the first window on the Advent calendar will be opened. But strikes are possible from 00:01 on this day," Groeger said.
Volkswagen plants in Germany potentially facing job cuts or closure https://reut.rs/3z6vwHf
INSIGHT-VW labour clash spotlights Europe's car factory conundrum nL8N3L11LG
NEWSMAKER-'Darkest day': Volkswagen's trailblazing labour chief gears up for jobs battle nL8N3KZ19F
Reporting by Christina Amann; Writing by Christoph Steitz and Matthias Williams; Editing by Mark Potter and Nick Zieminski
İlgili varlıklar
En son haberler
Bildirim: XM Group şirketlerinin her biri yalnızca gerçekleştirme hizmeti ve online yatırım platformumuza erişim sağlar. Herhangi bir kişinin web sitesinde bulunan veya web sitesi üzerinden sağlanan içeriği görüntülemesine ve/veya kullanmasına izin vermek, bu hizmeti değiştirmek veya genişletmek amaçlı değildir ve bu hizmeti ne değiştirir ne de genişletir. Bu tür erişim ve kullanım her zaman şunlara tabidir: (i) Şartlar ve Koşullar; (ii) Risk Uyarıları ve (iii) Tam Bildirim. Bu nedenle bu tür içerikler yalnızca genel bilgi amacıyla sağlanır. Özellikle, online yatırım platformumuzun içeriklerinin finans piyasalarında herhangi bir işleme girmek için bir teşvik veya bir teklif olmadığını lütfen dikkate alın. Herhangi bir finans piyasasında yatırım yapmak sermayeniz için önemli düzeyde risk taşır.
Online yatırım platformumuzda yayınlanan tüm materyaller yalnızca eğitim/bilgilendirme amaçlıdır ve finansal tavsiye, yatırım vergisi veya yatırım tavsiyesi ve önerileri ya da yatırım fiyatlarımızın kaydı veya herhangi bir finansal enstrümanda işlem yapılması için bir teklif veya teşvik ya da talep edilmemiş finansal promosyonları içermez ve içerdiği şeklinde bir değerlendirme yapılmamalıdır.
Görüşler, haberler, araştırma, analizler, fiyatlar, diğer bilgiler veya bu web sitesinde bulunan üçüncü taraf sitelere verilen bağlantılar gibi her türlü üçüncü taraf içeriğin yanı sıra XM tarafından hazırlanan içerik de “olduğu gibi” esasına göre, genel piyasa yorumu olarak sağlanır ve bir yatırım tavsiyesi oluşturmaz. Herhangi bir içeriğin yatırım araştırması olarak yorumlanmasıyla ilgili olarak, içeriğin bağımsız yatırım araştırmasını desteklemek üzere tasarlanmış yasal gerekliliklere uygun hazırlanmadığını ve bu amacın güdülmediğini, aynı şekilde ilgili yasalar ve mevzuatlar kapsamında pazarlama iletişimi olarak değerlendirileceğini dikkate almalı ve kabul etmelisiniz. Buradan erişebileceğiniz Bağımsız Olmayan Yatırım Araştırması Bildirimimizi ve yukarıdaki bilgilerle ilgili Risk Uyarımızı okuduğunuzdan ve anladığınızdan emin olun.
