Strikes at Germany’s Volkswagen set for early December as talks fail

Volkswagen employees demonstrate in front of the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg during the wage negotiations between Volkswagen and IG Metall. IG Metall welcomes the Group representatives to the third round of collective bargaining with a loud protest. Alicia Windzio/dpa

Volkswagen labour representatives formally voted on Friday to stage strikes at the German carmaker starting in early December.

The collective bargaining committee at the IG Metall trade union gave its approval to the strikes, after another round of wage talks ended in Germany without success on Thursday.

The union did not immediately provide details about the dates or the locations affected.

Union chief Thorsten Gröger said on Thursday that he believed strikes would be held starting next month, even though the sides are due to meet again on December 9.

He described the differences between their positions as “huge.”

Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, is mired in a deep crisis, and management has threatened potential plant closures and mass lay-offs in a bid to drastically cut labour costs.

Management is reportedly also demanding across-the-board 10% pay cuts for VW workers.

Labour leaders, meanwhile, have vowed to mount a bitter fight against any attempt to push through such savings at the expense of workers.