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State Premier: Volkswagen Must Quickly Hold Talks With Staffs
Volkswagen must hold talks with employees quickly as layoffs and factory closures in Germany threaten the carmaker. Lower Saxony Prime Minister Stephan Weil urged this during a visit to a Volkswagen factory in Emden. Weil spoke there with representatives of the Works Council and the IG Metall union, among others.
Volkswagen announced early last week that it was considering closing factories in Germany for the first time, due to overcapacity caused by weaker car sales in Europe. The plans and the threat of large-scale job cuts have caused widespread discontent among workers. Union leaders have vowed to fight vigorously against any factory closures or major workforce cuts at the company.
“You can see that the events since the beginning of last week have caused great concern at Volkswagen,” Weil says after his talks. According to him, the company’s management must find solutions in consultation with the employees to keep Volkswagen internationally competitive. “Up until now, it has always been possible to achieve joint results between the board of directors and the employees and I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible this time.”
Lower Saxony is home to Volkswagen’s headquarters and several large factories. The state also has a significant minority stake in the car company. The Emden plant employs around 8,000 people, making it one of the largest industrial employers in the region.
