Faced with rising costs and Chinese competition, the century-old manufacturer could for the first time close a factory in its own country. A social and political earthquake.
The absolute emblem of German entrepreneurship is « sick » and that’s it « frame is on fire ». The recent observation made by the head of the Volkswagen brand, Thomas Schäfer, is about to be translated into concrete terms and lead to breaking a taboo within the fetish industrialist of the Rhine economy. For the first time in the company’s almost century-old history, a group factory could close in the country. And the ten-year job guarantees granted to the 684,000 employees would be called into question.
« This will not happen with us », warned Daniela Cavallo, the all-powerful chairwoman of the Volkswagen works council, which alone has 35,000 employees and is putting its stamp on the German codetermination system. For VW employees, war with management has been virtually declared. In this case, it is a counterattack.
Also readVolkswagen, Stellantis, Renault… European manufacturers are playing for their future against the Chinese
The offensive began on Monday, during a seminar attended by around a hundred…
This article is reserved for subscribers. You have 87% left to discover.
Flash Sale
€1.99 per month for 6 months. No commitment.
Already subscribed? Log in
