German industrial union IG Metall and the works council of German car giant Volkswagen (VW) have denied rumors of possible closures of VW plants in Germany.
“Of course, all plants will be preserved“, said a joint statement by IG Metall CEO Christiane Benner, VW works council chairwoman Daniela Cavallo and IG Metall regional director Torsten Gröger. “There will be no plant closures with the participation of the General Works Council and IG Metall“, the statement stressed.
However, the member representatives cited the collective agreement reached at the end of 2024. After lengthy and difficult negotiations, the company and the union agreed on a restructuring program. Volkswagen's core brand plans to cut 35,000 jobs in Germany by 2030. In return, plant closures and layoffs initiated by employers were completely eliminated. As noted in the statement, this compromise should not be questioned.
At the same time, the works council and the union suggested that new areas of activity be explored in case existing business models “no longer be fully viable in the foreseeable future“. In this case, “new ones” will have to be created, which, however, should not replace existing collective bargaining obligations, but at best supplement them, the statement specifies. At the same time, the unions have also signaled their readiness to cooperate with external partners. Quality jobs, future prospects and guaranteed employment are crucial.
Recently, rumors have centered around the future Volkswagen plant in Osnabrück, where approximately 2,300 people work. Production of Porsche models assembled in Osnabrück is scheduled to end this year, and production of the VW T-Roc convertible will also stop in mid-2027. No follow-up order has yet been placed. In this regard, scenarios are regularly discussed in which the company could be bought out by defense concerns.