Troubled German carmaker VW seeks talks on job transfer companies
23.10.2026,
dpa
German carmaker Volkswagen intends to negotiate the establishment of transfer companies during the forthcoming collective bargaining round in order to press ahead with the cutting of thousands of jobs.
Employees can join these companies to explore new opportunities in the labour market.
The talks must focus on additional socially responsible workforce management measures, Volkswagen said on Friday following a meeting with employees in Hanover. These include transfer companies to which employees could move to open up new prospects on the labour market.
The company's aim is to shape these changes in such a way that employees are given choices and support for their future career paths. It was not immediately clear how many VW employees might move to such transfer companies. The move would have to be voluntary.
VW also stated that, despite the difficult situation, the company remains committed to the Volkswagen Group's Future Plan 2030 collective bargaining agreement and the employment security provisions it contains, which run until the end of 2030.
The car manufacturer envisages this move to set up transfer companies for both production staff and employees in administration and development, company sources told dpa.
The duration and structure of such companies would have to be negotiated with the employees and set out in writing. This also applies to any severance payments. Collective bargaining at Volkswagen begins on November 24.
Trade union sees move as a breach of trust
The IG Metall trade union firmly rejects the proposal. It claims this constitutes a breach of collective bargaining agreements with no sound legal basis.
IG Metall regional director Thorsten Gröger stated: "Before taxpayers step in, the shareholders have a duty to act." He called it "unacceptable" for the general public to foot the bill while shareholders continue to pocket dividends.
The trade union has so far primarily pushed for publicly funded transfer companies in cases of operational changes and plant closures. Instead of shunting employees there, VW must secure its future - for example, through new products, new markets and technological leadership.
VW works council chair Daniela Cavallo saw the proposal as an attempt to undermine job security until the end of 2030 through the back door.
A further 12,000 jobs are set to be cut
The executive board led by VW chief executive Oliver Blume intends to cut around 50,000 jobs worldwide by 2030, in addition to the group's existing redundancy plans.
For Volkswagen AG - which, in addition to the core brand, also comprises the components division and group-wide functions - a reduction of more than 35,000 jobs by 2030 had already been negotiated two years ago.
The new plans would result in an additional reduction of 12,000 jobs, VW announced for the first time.
In addition to job transfer schemes, it will also be necessary to make maximum use of voluntary redundancy schemes and to reduce labour costs. So far, the car manufacturer has relied primarily on partial retirement schemes and severance payments.
No comments:
Post a Comment