Sparpläne bei Volkswagen: Niedersachsen: Werden um jeden VW-Standort kämpfen

In light of potential factory closures at Volkswagen, the government of Lower Saxony is determined to fight for the preservation of all German locations. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Olaf Lies (SPD), who also sits on the VW supervisory board, emphasized, "We will fight for every location – not only in Lower Saxony, but nationwide."

The spokesperson stressed that "a plant in Neckarsulm is just as important as a plant in Zwickau, Hannover, or Emden." Volkswagen plants in Emden, Hannover, and Zwickau, along with the Audi plant in Neckarsulm, face financial difficulties as they lack a "competitive placement" for the 2030s, according to Group CEO Oliver Blume. The ongoing workforce reductions – 50,000 positions by 2030 – are insufficient, according to the executive board.

Another tens of thousands of positions are set to be cut. The state government is concerned about employee uncertainty. Ahead of a potentially groundbreaking supervisory board meeting this Friday on the downsizing plans, the Lower Saxony government continues to push for a reconciliation between the company and its workforce. The government spokesperson said, "Our firm belief is that Volkswagen's strength has always been in finding solutions together."

The Land government, however, finds concepts that center on factory closures, massive layoffs, and diluting the VW law unacceptable. The VW law grants the state of Lower Saxony, which holds a 20% stake in VW, significant influence over key decisions at Volkswagen. The Land government also lamented that the discussions on VW's future course were not fully confidential.

"It is not helpful when on the side of interested parties, things are continually played out in public," the spokesperson said. For VW employees and their families, this creates significant uncertainty.