此前，为深化 100 亿欧元(110 亿美元)的成本削减计划，该公司正考虑采取前所未有的举措，关闭其在德国的工厂，并终止对六家工厂的就业保障。Volkswagen's chief financial officer Arno Antlitz (Arno Antlitz) recently said that Volkswagen has “one to two years” to reverse the decline of its brand of the same name.
The Zhitong Finance App learned that Volkswagen (VWAGY.US) Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz (Arno Antlitz) recently said that Volkswagen has “one to two years” to reverse the decline of its brand of the same name. The German car giant is considering closing its factory for the first time in Germany, and its strong union is threatening to launch a fight.
According to reports, Antlitz told about 0.025 million employees at the Wolfsburg headquarters on Wednesday that they needed to work with management to help the company cut expenses to help Volkswagen survive the transition to electric vehicles. His remarks were met with a German “goodbye” booed.
Previously, in order to further the €10 billion ($11 billion) cost reduction plan, the company was considering taking unprecedented steps to close its German plant and end job security at six plants.
The chief financial officer said that the European car market has shrunk after the pandemic, and Volkswagen is facing a sharp drop in demand for 0.5 million vehicles, which is roughly equivalent to the production capacity of the two factories.
He estimated, “We (VW Group) are Europe's largest automobile manufacturer and have about a quarter of Europe's market share. We are missing about 0.5 million cars, which equates to a gap of about 2 factories.”
“It's not about our products or our poor sales performance; the market simply doesn't exist anymore,” he said. He added that VW brand sales are not expected to recover, and VW still has “one to two years” to cut spending and adjust production.
According to a person attending the conference, the company's CEO Oliver Blume (Oliver Blume) said: “There will be no more inspections from China.” China is Volkswagen's biggest market.
Bloom said, “The cake is getting smaller, but there are more and more guests at the table.” “Car sales in Europe are declining. Meanwhile, new competitors from Asia are entering the market strongly”.
Union president Daniela Cavallo (Daniela Cavallo) said mass management “seriously damaged trust.” According to reports, the German Metall Union (IG Metall Union) does not rule out the possibility of a strike, and there is no reason to lower wage requirements in upcoming contract negotiations.
Cavallo vowed to prevent the factory from closing, saying: “Management has largely broken taboos and workers are ready to be there when we ask them to be there.” Additionally, Cavallo urged Bloom to explain why Volkswagen plans to prioritize a 5 billion euro (roughly $5.54 billion) partnership with US electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian (RIVN.US) over employment opportunities in Germany.
A spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Olaf Scholz) said that Scholz had spoken with Volkswagen management and the Labor Council and was “clear about the importance of this car manufacturer.”
