Union says nearly 100,000 workers joined Volkswagen strikes across Germany

BERLIN (Reuters) – Almost 100,000 workers joined walkouts at Volkswagen (ETR:)’s German plants on Monday in protest at management plans to cut wages and even close sites at Europe’s biggest carmaker, the IG Metall union said, threatening further industrial action.

With two-hour strikes by workers on morning shifts and early walkouts on evening shifts, a total of 98,650 employees at nine plants across Germany took part in the industrial action, said the union on Tuesday.

Volkswagen has threatened to close plants in Germany for the first time in its 87-year history to reduce costs and boost profit. European carmakers are struggling with weak demand, high production costs, competition from Chinese rivals and a slower-than-expected electric vehicle transition.

“This was the first, powerful impact of a winter of protest, Volkswagen should come to its senses and finally shelve its nightmare plans, otherwise our colleagues will find the right answer,” said IG Metall’s chief negotiator Thorsten Groeger.

The union last week proposed measures it said would save 1.5 billion euros ($1.58 billion), including forgoing bonuses for 2025 and 2026. Management has dismissed these as unrealistic and delaying the inevitable.

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