VW and IG Metall's Crucial Negotiations Ahead of Christmas

Volkswagen and IG Metall are currently engaged in critical wage negotiations in Hanover, focusing on significant issues affecting 130,000 employees in Lower Saxony, Hesse, and Saxony. Volkswagen is proposing a 10% wage cut, while the union demands guarantees for job security and the preservation of all operational sites.

These negotiations, spanning two days, are the fifth round in a contentious dialogue that has seen little progress thus far. The previous round concluded without any agreement after seven hours of discussions.

Union negotiator Thorsten Gröger emphasizes the urgency of reaching a resolution before Christmas, warning that failure to do so could lead to escalated strike actions in 2025. Both sides acknowledge the substantial gap between their positions but remain hopeful for a constructive outcome, as the stakes for the workforce and the company's future are incredibly high.