Los sindicatos amenazan a Volkswagen con “un conflicto laboral sin precedentes” si anula los convenios colectivos en Alemania
Si la empresa no se retracta de su intención de rescindir los acuerdos que regulan los salarios o la jornada, los trabajadores podrán ir a la huelga a partir de enero
Volkswagen faces potential "unprecedented labor conflict" if it cancels collective agreements in Germany, according to the IG Metall union and Volkswagen's company committee. The union warned that if the decision stands by the end of October, the group may face the largest conflict it has ever encountered. Thorsten Gröger, regional director of IG Metall in Lower Saxony, stated that they hope Volkswagen will reverse this breach of trust, as there is still time for reconsideration.
If the automaker decides to proceed with the termination of ten collective agreements, representing almost all of them in Germany, the consequences would be enormous. Gröger emphasized that this demand is clear, and the union will prepare a powerful strike machinery if the layoffs continue. The strikes could begin as early as December 31, 2026, when the current labor truce ends.
Despite Volkswagen's announced job cuts, the union had previously demanded a 5% salary increase for workers. After the first review meeting of the 2024 pact, Volkswagen announced the termination of ten collective agreements, including the wage agreement and the framework agreement. The remaining agreements regulate various aspects such as working hours, vacations, salary bands, and supplementary benefits.
However, not all provisions are immediately affected. The automaker aims to adjust these regulations to contain costs. Yet, Volkswagen has not filed any concrete lawsuits related to the cost-cutting plans within the wage agreements. The termination of these agreements affects approximately 130,000 employees of Volkswagen AG in Germany.
Gröger warned that this move paves the way for workers to demand more in the upcoming wage negotiations, scheduled for November 24 instead of early December. Recently, Volkswagen announced plans to freeze wages until 2030. The IG Metall union also called for a clarification on how job security will be guaranteed until the next decade and for wage negotiations to start on November 24, rather than waiting until early December, as previously agreed.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais Economia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
