Spotlight on Germany and Volkswagen in the automotive sector, with the Wolfsburg giant experiencing a moment of tension due to the need to reduce certain costs, with the specter of layoffs and factory closures. With the dissolution of the collective agreement in force since 1994, the unions and VW have started new negotiations, which began yesterday in Hannover where representatives of Volkswagen AG and the IG Metall sections of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt met.
Corporate tensions
The parties had already agreed to bring forward the start of negotiations by a month, initially scheduled for the end of October. VW has put some key issues on the table, such as protections for the sites
productive and jobs, the hiring of apprentices and dual students, the application of the
Tarif Plus band and all collective agreements on the employment of temporary workers. At the start of the talks, Arne Meiswinkel, chief negotiator of Volkswagen AG and Head of Human Resources of the Volkswagen brand, explained the company’s position: “The situation in Germany is very serious. Volkswagen will only be able to maintain its position as the leading manufacturer in terms of volumes if we can secure the future of the company now in the face of rising costs and strong competition. Sustainable cost reductions combined with increased efficiency and productivity are the only way we can invest in new technologies and products and thus safeguard jobs in the long term.”
Volkswagen’s position
The demands of the workers’ representatives, through Thorsten Gröger, chief negotiator and head of IG Metall in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, were a 7% wage increase and a basic payment of €170 for apprentices and dual students. Volkswagen, however, rejected the demands: “We can only secure the future of Volkswagen if we are competitive – Meiswinkel replied – To achieve this, we need sustained cost reductions and a future-proof structure for the working conditions covered by our collective bargaining agreement. The realignment of safeguards for production sites and jobs, the implementation of Tarif Plus, a needs-based training program and the employment of temporary workers on competitive terms are key elements. We also need to reduce labor costs in Germany. We can only maintain our leading position and safeguard jobs in the long term if we work more economically. One presupposes the other and this will not be possible without the contribution of the employees. In the next steps of the collective bargaining agreement, we will therefore seek solutions that strengthen both the company and the employees in the long term. It is now up to us, as parties to the collective bargaining agreement, to work together to define the future viability of the company and to safeguard it in the long term.”
#Volkswagen #rejects #union #demands #FormulaPassion.it
