According to media reports, the German metalworkers' union IG Metall announced that on November 6, workers at Volkswagen Group's Osnabrück plant in Germany staged a warning strike as part of a regional pay protest.
The Osnabrück plant is seen as one of the potential targets for closure in Volkswagen Group's restructuring plan, marking the second recent strike by workers at this facility. This reflects rising tensions due to Volkswagen's cost-cutting measures and the possibility of closing a plant in Germany for the first time.
Although strikes at Volkswagen's other factories in western Germany can only begin in December, the Osnabrück plant operates under a different labor contract, allowing workers there to strike immediately.
The Osnabrück plant employs about 2,300 workers and produces the Porsche Cayman and Boxster models, as well as Volkswagen's T-Roc Cabriolet.
Porsche has announced plans to produce the next generation of Cayman and Boxster at its Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen plant. Last week, Daniela Cavallo, head of Volkswagen Group's Works Council, stated that Porsche management has informed the Osnabrück plant of its intention to terminate the existing business relationship.
Additionally, Volkswagen will stop producing the T-Roc Cabriolet next year, presenting potential production challenges for the Osnabrück plant.
Besides the Volkswagen strikes, early on October 29, Porsche employees at its Stuttgart auto plant also joined a series of strikes as part of a nationwide action by German workers demanding higher wages.
IG Metall is calling for a 7% wage increase, while the employers' association has only offered a 3.6% increase over 27 months. Employers argue that the union's demands are unrealistic.
