It would be the first time ever that Volkswagen closes factories in home country Germany. Daniela Cavallo, chair of the works council, speaks of “starvation” by the management. “This means that even more products, shifts and complete production lines will be cut,” Cavallo says according to the Bloomberg news agency.
Volkswagen employees were already planning to stop work on Monday. They protest against the plans to close factories. When the employees were informed about the latest state of affairs in negotiations with the company, it came out that at least three factories were now being closed. According to Cavallo, a salary reduction of 10 percent for all employees has also been proposed by the management.
Volkswagen is facing decreasing demand in Europe and increasing competition from China. Unions state that employees must pay the bill for management mistakes.