FRANKFURT, Sept 12 (Askume) – Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and union IG Metall hope to reach new labour deals at its six German plants by the end of September after the carmaker cancelled a job protection programme .
Europe’s top carmaker has clashed with workers over proposals to close German plants for the first time in its history, facing high labour and energy costs and fierce competition.
Talks between Volkswagen and Germany’s most powerful union will begin on Sept. 25, about a month earlier than originally planned, the Volkswagen union said in a statement on Thursday.
Works councils said earlier this week that labour agreements were under “unprecedented attack” as Volkswagen scrapped decades-old job protections at six plants.
“The upcoming negotiations appear to be very complex in view of the extensive liquidation at Volkswagen and are expected to last a long time,” the works council said, adding that its head Daniela Cavallo would lead the talks. Part of the team.
The committee said the talks were complicated by Volkswagen’s regular annual investment plan to be presented in the autumn and the carmaker’s planned cost cuts.
Earlier this week, Volkswagen offered to extend negotiations with IG Metall (originally scheduled for mid-to-late October) at the request of the union, which opposes any layoffs and has pledged strong resistance to plant closures.
IG Metall warned that an attack was theoretically possible at the end of November.
