Volkswagen, the auto manufacturer, has announced the termination of numerous collective bargaining agreements by the end of this year. According to the IG Metall union, VW’s employer side presented the termination notices during a collective bargaining review meeting on Wednesday. These decisions call into question several existing provisions, including supplementary allowances, training programs, and protection rules for older or medically compromised employees.
In total, the IG Metall union confirmed that VW plans to terminate ten different collective bargaining agreements. These include the wage agreement and the general framework agreement that governs working hours and overtime. The deadline for the termination of these agreements is December 31st, and consequently, the terminations are slated to take effect on January 1, 2027.
Thorsten Gröger, a lead negotiator for IG Metall, strongly condemned the move, stating, “This is a grave affront to the workforce and yet another shameless attempt to reach into the pockets of employees.” Gröger alleged that Volkswagen is trying to offload the company’s economic challenges onto the staff-challenges that the company has otherwise sustained every day. He criticized the corporate practice, noting, “While profits are being privatized, business costs and risks are now being shifted onto the workforce. We will not accept this. Anyone who tries to take money from the employees must expect a corresponding confrontation.”
