The decisive factor is whether there is a strategy for the future: “And developing this is a management task.” Securing employment is of little use if it is not stated how the plants will be utilized to capacity in the future and structural problems will be remedied. “Even if employees brought in ten percent of their pay, that would not be enough to cover the losses caused by poor management decisions from the past,” explained Benner. With regard to VW’s dividend policy, she warned that it had to fit the overall situation. Benner rejects a repayment of dividends from major shareholders: “I think it is difficult, both legally and morally. We need people who believe in a company and invest in it. I think it’s legitimate that in good times money flows back to these investors.” In September, Europe’s largest car manufacturer terminated the employment security that has been in place for more than 30 years, which previously excluded redundancies for operational reasons. The closure of entire plants is no longer ruled out. In the current collective bargaining agreement with IG Metall, VW is also demanding a flat-rate wage cut of ten percent. Of the ten German VW plants, six are in Lower Saxony, including the main plant in Wolfsburg with more than 60,000 employees. The state of Lower Saxony holds 20 percent of the voting rights in VW and has a blocking minority against important decisions.
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