Overview
- Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume told staff the group’s situation is “more than critical” and is preparing a tightened cost plan and a new “Zielbild 2030” that he says requires an explicit mandate from the supervisory board.
- Management has presented an orientation figure of up to 50,000 additional positions at risk and identified four German plants as exposed, but no concrete closures or final layoff decisions have been taken.
- Unions led by IG Metall chief Christiane Benner have rejected plant shutdowns outright, demanded detailed, model‑level plans, and signalled escalating actions including a nationwide day of protest in September.
- Regional politicians and works councils are proposing alternatives to closures — joint ventures with Chinese partners, building China‑developed models locally, and repurposing sites into circular‑economy or industrial hubs — as they press VW for site‑specific solutions.
- The next phase of talks starts with a series of works meetings beginning 25 August when the board will brief employees, and the supervisory board’s upcoming decisions will determine whether the response emphasises deep cuts or negotiated alternatives.