Dispute over austerity measures : VW-works Council calls for a guarantee of employment until the end of 2028

the VW works Council boss Bernd Osterloh has called for the core brand, VW passenger Cars, a guarantee of employment until the end of 2028 at all German locations. This is the condition for the digital reconstruction of the company, he said, according to the German press Agency on Wednesday at the meeting of Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, approximately 20,000 employees.

"We want equal security for all Volkswagen employees," said Osterloh. Thus, the previous regulations would be aligned - so far, there is the guarantee until the end of 2025, the "future Pact" referred to the austerity package as well as the guarantee of employment until the end of 2028 for the plants in Emden and Hannover.

Background: the Volkswagen had announced that in the next five years in addition to 5000 to 7000 jobs will disappear. With automated routine work, material savings and a lower level of model diversity should decrease from 2023 to cost more and the improvement of the Profit rise of 5.9 billion euros a year. Therefore, it is provided that Places are not occupied at the age-related retirement of employees.

group chief Herbert Diess removal

defended the costs, According to the assessment of the group chief Herbert Diess, especially the Megatrend of digitisation at the car giant. With modern IT, many of the routine could work for you and automate processes, he said on Wednesday in front of the employees. "It is clear that in the administrative jobs will be lost." This will be on old-age part-time in a socially compatible way. Diess pointed out that he stand for the guarantee of employment until 2025. However, there is no Alternative: "We need to make our cars significantly more money to invest in the future."

The Chairman of the works Council of Volkswagen, Bernd Osterloh, speaking at a meeting.Archive photo: Peter Steffen/dpa

Diess, said that because of the strict EU targets for CO2 emissions should be the share of E-cars Volkswagen by 2030, around 40 percent. However, "An E-car is made with about 30 percent less work than a nitro. It is hard to cope with employee turnover and retirement.“ At the same time Software specialists were missing. In the course of the "Zukunftspakts" and also of the new austerity program, several Thousand jobs in the future will emerge for areas such as software development.

Many of the employees at the works meeting in Wolfsburg

participants in circles it was said before, it was at the meeting clearly than normally. The hall 11 in the main plant had to be closed, many people observed the event from outside on screens. In his speech, Diess stressed then, he'll take the uncertainties and Fears in the workforce "very seriously".

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the announcement of The increased saving rate had in the past week for outrage on the workers ' side. From the point of view of the works Council, Osterloh, the Board was not able to explain the order of magnitude of up to 7000. He said, on the other hand, management errors, the kostetet the company a lot of money. As an example, he cited billion in losses due to the new emissions tests WLTP, which have not the responsibility of the workforce. "Marriage, the works Council goes into talks with the Board of Directors, we want to hear the answers to our questions," he said. (dpa)