VW factory in Zwickau
More than 2,000 people currently work on fixed-term contracts in Zwickau.
(Photo: dpa)
In view of the low demand for electric cars, Volkswagen is threatened with job cuts at the Zwickau plant. According to dpa information, there is talk of not extending employees’ fixed-term contracts. Initially, this could affect a few hundred of the approximately 10,700 employees at the Saxon location at the end of October.
More than 2,000 people currently work there on fixed-term contracts. Depending on the further market situation, they could now face the end of their jobs at VW for the foreseeable future. A staff meeting is planned for Thursday.
“It is a serious situation,” said Saxony’s Economics Minister Martin Dulig (SPD) on Wednesday when asked by the German Press Agency. He has been in contact with the works council and his Lower Saxony counterpart Olaf Lies (SPD) for several weeks. “We want to show employees a positive perspective, but we cannot always discuss possible solutions publicly straight away.” At the same time, Dulig warned against artificially conjuring up “possible future scenarios”.
Uncertainty is increasing due to sluggish demand
Uncertainty has been growing in the electric car factory for weeks due to sluggish demand. Many employees express concern. Representatives from IG Metall have now written a letter to the management. “It is enough! We finally want answers,” the “Freie Presse” quoted from the letter on Wednesday.
The alarm bells are obviously ringing in the state government too. “In the next few days, maybe hours, we will hear unfortunate news,” said Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) at a CDU regional conference on Tuesday evening, according to the “Leipziger Volkszeitung”.
VW has converted its factory in Zwickau into a factory for electric vehicles in recent years at a cost of 1.2 billion euros. This year production was actually supposed to increase. Instead, there could now be a reduction in shifts, because in view of high inflation and declining subsidies, car buyers are now reluctant to buy electric cars.
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