Striking Volkswagen workers gather outside the Volkswagen factory on December 2, 2024 in Emden, Germany.
Volkswagen workers across Germany halted work on Monday as tensions between the company and employees escalated over changes to labor agreements and potential factory closures. Nine of Volkswagen’s car and component factories were affected by the warning strikes, with work either halted temporarily for demonstrations or shifted being cut short by workers.
Workers carried banners with messages reading “strike ready” and “warning strikes – our right,” demanding a 7% pay raise while company management proposes a 10% pay cut. The conflict follows Volkswagen’s decision in September to scrap labor agreements and end its employment protection agreement, which has been in place for its German workforce since 1994. The company also flagged that it may need to close factories in Germany for the first time in its history.
Union chief negotiator Thorsten Gröger warned of the potential for the conflict to escalate into the “harshest wage dispute ever seen at Volkswagen,” while Daniela Cavallo, head of the Volkswagen works council, called on workers to take a stand, saying “the only way through a crisis is with the workforce, not against it.”
The German automotive giant, however, remains committed to finding a “sustainable and mutually supported solution” through constructive dialogue. Volkswagen’s board has scheduled additional talks later this month, which Cavallo believes could set the course for either convergence or escalation.
Employees have expressed their willingness to strike further, with Cavillo emphasizing that plant closures, mass layoffs, and cuts to existing wage levels are “red lines” for workers. The conflict marks a significant escalation from previous disputes, with larger-scale strikes and demonstrations possible if a resolution is not reached.
