Auto industry: VW faces nationwide warning strikes – peace obligation ends

Europe’s largest car manufacturer, Volkswagen, is threatened with widespread warning strikes. “Production will be temporarily on hold in all plants in the near future,” announced IG Metall negotiator Thorsten Gröger in Wolfsburg. By symbolically ringing bells, IG Metall demonstratively marked the end of the peace obligation and thus set the course for labor disputes. According to media reports, the first warning strikes could occur as early as this Monday.

The union demonstratively let its peace obligation subside twice: first in Wolfsburg in the evening with bells ringing within sight of the company headquarters, and a little later again in Zwickau with red Bengal fire. IG Metall spoke of around 300 participants in Wolfsburg. In Zwickau, too, hundreds gathered in front of the factory gate over punch and bratwurst to demonstrate their willingness to strike.

“The words have been exchanged enough”

“The frustration among the workforce is great,” said works council boss Daniela Cavallo. With the possibility of warning strikes, there is now an outlet “to let off steam.” She is therefore expecting a great response when the first campaigns begin. Gröger spoke of “warning strikes that the company cannot overlook.”

In Zwickau, the head of the works council there, Uwe Kunstmann, said: “Enough words have been exchanged, actions will follow from next week.” The VW board must finally come to its senses. “I assume that IG Metall will call for warning strikes at all VW locations next week.”

VW demands a ten percent wage cut

The conflict is about the pay of around 120,000 employees in the Volkswagen AG plants, where a separate in-house tariff applies. VW has so far refused any increase and is instead demanding a ten percent wage cut. Plant closures and layoffs for operational reasons are also on the table. The job security was terminated. According to the works council, at least three plants and tens of thousands of jobs are at risk.

The peace obligation, in which strikes are not allowed, expired at midnight. Work stoppages are also possible from December 1st. IG Metall has already announced that it will call for warning strikes from the beginning of December. The union has not yet given any specific dates.

With these actions, the union wants to increase the pressure once again in the collective bargaining dispute over wage cuts, job cuts and possible factory closures. “We don’t want this conflict – but we will fight it as long as the board only focuses on cuts and layoffs instead of prospects,” said Gröger. “If necessary, this will be one of the toughest conflicts Volkswagen has ever seen.”

IG Metall’s future plan rejected

It was only on Friday that Volkswagen rejected the proposals from IG Metall and the works council to reduce costs. In doing so, the board is adding fuel to the fire, said Cavallo. Gröger even spoke of “open gasoline barrels” that the board threw into the fire. “We won’t put up with that.”

IG Metall and the works council had offered not to pay out a possible wage increase for the time being and instead to put it into a future fund. In return, VW should refrain from plant closures and redundancies for operational reasons. Volkswagen countered that the proposal would not bring any lasting relief.

Next round of collective bargaining on December 9th

Representatives of employees and the company want to continue collective bargaining on December 9th. During the previous round of negotiations in November, more than 7,000 employees protested in front of the negotiating room against the austerity plans, without any warning strikes at the time.

On Wednesday, CEO Oliver Blume will also appear in front of the workforce at the works meeting in Wolfsburg. Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) is also expected to be a guest speaker.

More than 50,000 in the wave of warning strikes in 2018

Warning strikes at individual locations at VW last occurred in the 2021 company collective bargaining round. The last time there were comprehensive actions at all six major plants in West Germany was in 2018. According to IG Metall, more than 50,000 employees in Wolfsburg, Hanover, Emden, Kassel-Baunatal, Braunschweig and Salzgitter took part in the strike. For the Saxon plants in Zwickau, Chemnitz and Dresden, a gradual adjustment to the in-house tariff by 2027 was only agreed in 2021.

The VW factory in Osnabrück does not fall under the in-house tariff. Warning strikes had already taken place there in October and November during the collective bargaining round for the metal and electrical industries.