Volkswagen Workers Criticize Management Communication Amid Restructuring

Volkswagen employees have criticized the management board for its communication as the company considers further cost cuts during its largest ever restructuring. An internal works council article reported that an online survey found employees and their families were unsettled and frightened by the board's public communication. Workers raised specific concerns regarding job security, severance programs, and the future of plants in Emden, Hanover, Neckarsulm, Osnabrueck, and Zwickau.

CEO Oliver Blume stated in an internal memo that four of these plants are not expected to reach competitive capacity use in the 2030s, although he stressed that no decisions on specific closures have been made. While workers criticized the lack of detail provided in that memo, Blume has rejected accusations that the company is withholding information, asserting that colleagues are kept informed through internal channels and personal dialogue.

The restructuring process may involve up to 50,000 job cuts or the carve out of certain divisions. In response to the ongoing tension, Blume and board member Thomas Schmall are scheduled to address employees at meetings in Wolfsburg and Braunschweig.