Employees will be able to question CEO Oliver Blume at late August meetings, but no agreements have been reached yet. The workers council warns potential plant closures and further cuts could put tens of thousands of regional jobs in jeopardy.
Berlin, July 17 – The Volkswagen works council said that in August it would organize extraordinary meetings with employees, where they could ask management questions about plans that threaten at least 140,000 jobs.
Job-Cut Plan and Workers’ Response
The anticipated meetings with CEO Oliver Blume will take place at the Wolfsburg plant site on August 25, and at the Emden and Zwickau plants on August 26, according to the works council.
Emden and Zwickau are among the four plants that could be closed in the coming years if no alternative solutions are found.
Volkswagen could cut another 50,000 jobs on top of the already planned 50,000, to reduce costs and stay price-competitive, Blume said.
The threat of closures after 2030 could threaten another 40,000 jobs, the works council adds.
A company spokesperson noted that there are no agreements at the moment and therefore they are not commenting on the numbers.
In the course of discussions and decision-making, the talks center on serious changes that could significantly affect Volkswagen’s performance and regional employment.