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Berlin -- The IG Metall and VW Works Council are urging Volkswagen to retract its termination of almost all employment contracts, stating "we expect Volkswagen to undo the breach of trust." Negotiator Thorsten Gröger, head of IG Metall Niedersachsen, warned at a press conference before a subsequent discussion round with the company in Hannover that the extensive chain of events would commence if the company refuses to comply.

The union has given the company until the end of October to reconsider, otherwise, a massive machinery of workplace protests will be prepared for Volkswagen. The company's management can slate the 31st of December for the potential strikes, marking the end of the peace period. Volkswagen is in crisis, primarily due to a decline in sales in China.

The firm aims to cut labor costs to become more competitive against the cheaper Chinese competition. Consequently, nearly 100,000 jobs across Germany are set to be eliminated, affecting four factories. In September, VW terminated ten of its twelve employment contracts with IG Metall, aiming to lower the wage level across several scales and reduce personnel costs.

The company has not communicated any new offers to the board, stated Works Council President Daniela Cavallo. The atmosphere within the workforce is tense, with a sense of affront and a challenge to the management.