Leaked internal plans suggest Volkswagen may cut up to 100,000 jobs and restructure brands, raising alarm among unions while company committees prepare to review proposals.
London – Volkswagen, one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, reportedly plans to cut up to 100,000 jobs over the next few years, which would amount to about 15% of the company’s global workforce.
According to Manager Magazin, in Friday’s issue of the German business magazine, the article discusses such plans to reduce personnel.
Job cuts will occur in parallel with planned closures of four plants in Germany and a 15% reduction in investment over the next five years, according to Manager Magazin.
Context and Potential Consequences of the Reforms
The article also notes that Volkswagen – the largest car manufacturer in Germany and one of the country’s leading employers – plans to separate the core Volkswagen brand and the auto parts business into distinct structures. The company also owns Audi and Porsche.
internal, confidential documents.
– A Volkswagen spokesperson
Key issues will be discussed and approved in the appropriate committees,
– A Volkswagen spokesperson
We will not intervene prematurely in this process.
– A Volkswagen spokesperson
Globally, VW employs nearly 660,000 people, and earlier plans were announced to cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030.
The company operates a single assembly plant in the United States, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which employs more than 4,000 workers.
Like many European automakers, the company is under pressure from new tariffs on exports to the United States and increasing pressure from Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturers, notably BYD.
A Volkswagen spokesperson said that the company needs “a sharper focus, as well as stricter discipline regarding costs and investments” to meet the new reality, adding that the traditional business model of building cars in Europe and exporting them worldwide “does not work” for all brands.
no longer works
– A Volkswagen spokesperson
Any layoffs are likely to meet resistance from German unions. “If such plans are pursued, we will stop them with all our might,” said IG Metall and the Volkswagen Works Council in a joint statement on Friday.
Volkswagen shares fell about 1.5% during the market’s midday session, and since the start of the year their value has fallen by more than a quarter.
The article mentions industry context and expected implications for the labor market and production strategies, noting that the decisions require further clarification by the company and depend on global demand and regulatory conditions.
This information was highlighted by journalists from global media who are following the company’s developments amid rising pressure from competitors and changes in the global automotive market.