German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed the collective agreement at Volkswagen as a “good, socially responsible solution.”
“These are not easy times for Volkswagen employees,” he said in a statement.
Scholz added that the compromise reached by the collective bargaining partners offers a path toward a secure future for both the company and its workforce, despite significant challenges.
He also noted that the agreement underscores Germany’s continued status as a vital automotive and industrial hub.
Volkswagen and the IG Metall union announced an agreement in their wage dispute on Friday evening. The agreement includes plans to reduce 35,000 jobs by 2030, although it avoids plant closures and compulsory redundancies.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck said that every job that could not be saved was a loss. “We must now work together to renew and strengthen the competitiveness of the automotive industry and to give the ramp-up of electric mobility new momentum,” he said in a statement.
Thorsten Groeger, District Manager of IG Metall in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt speaks during a press conference after collective bargaining with Volkswagen at the Wyndham Hannover Atrium. Moritz Frankenberg/dpa
Daniela Cavallo, Chairwoman of the General and Group Works Council of Volkswagen AG speaks during a press conference after collective bargaining with Volkswagen at the Wyndham Hannover Atrium. Moritz Frankenberg/dpa
