Labor leaders posted a warning to CEO Oliver Blume on the company intranet on Monday, signaling that last week's restructuring deal does not end the fight over jobs and sites. The supervisory board had voted unanimously to support Blume's general restructuring direction, and Volkswagen shares rose in Frankfurt on Friday after that vote.
Christiane Benner, head of IG Metall and a member of Volkswagen's supervisory board and the company Präsidium, said, "We thwarted the management board's plans," and added, "But we are far from finished. The real confrontation starts now." Labor leaders also said the unanimous supervisory-board vote did not give Blume a "blank check," and a labor spokesman reminded that existing collective-bargaining agreements remain in effect.
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Management still must specify where, why and when any potential job reductions would occur, and many disputed measures need detailed planning, approvals and talks with worker representatives. The Emden, Hannover and Zwickau plants and Audi's Neckarsulm facility remain undecided, though all parties agreed to pursue sustainable follow-on production at those sites into the next decade. Investors had been braced for another clash before the vote, and the market's reaction showed relief about the overall plan even as key details stay unresolved.
