“We are prepared”: IG Metall gives Volkswagen an ultimatum until the end of October

The tone between Volkswagen and its employees is becoming harsher. IG Metall warns of a “huge machine” if the group does not withdraw the terminations of the company collective agreements. The duty of peace ends at the turn of the year.

In the struggle for tougher cost-cutting measures at VW, IG Metall is increasing the pressure - and giving the board an ultimatum. The union is demanding that the termination of a number of collective agreements be reversed by the end of October. “You can also take back a notice of termination that you have given,” said Lower Saxony IG Metall district manager Thorsten Gröger in Hanover. If that doesn't happen, he warned, "a huge machine" would roll out and prepare for industrial action at Volkswagen. "We are not looking for conflict, but we are prepared."

At the end of September, Volkswagen terminated ten collective agreements at the end of the year - and thus almost all of the company collective agreements. Among other things, working hours, vacation and allowances are regulated there. The VW management wants to adapt various regulations in view of the current cost pressure. The company has not yet communicated any specific demands. This would make nationwide warning strikes in the affected factories legally possible from January 1st.

Around 130,000 Volkswagen AG employees in Germany will be affected by the layoffs at the end of the year. This includes the Volkswagen passenger car and commercial vehicle brands, the components division and central corporate divisions. Gröger sees the move as a breach of trust.

According to an agreement, the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations between Volkswagen and IG Metall must begin at the beginning of December at the latest. Gröger suggested November 24th as the first hearing date. According to the union, the negotiations should be held at the threatened locations in Emden, Hanover and Zwickau. “Collective negotiations do not belong in the comfort zone of the 13th boardroom,” said Gröger. They belong where the future of the locations is at stake.

IG Metall is demanding five percent more money in the collective bargaining round. According to the information, it doesn't have to stay that way. The layoffs opened up space for demands, said Gröger. There are precise ideas about what can be changed or improved in these collective agreements. As examples, he cited an extension of the partial retirement regulations or the question of how far employment security could be extended into the 2030s. The union therefore wants to present a comprehensive concept for the future of Volkswagen “in due course”.