VW: “A car that normal people can afford”. It will get loud within the skyscraper | EUROtoday

There was a giant racket when Daniela Cavallo started her speech. Tens of 1000’s of VW staff make their presence felt in entrance of the stage with whistles, drums, rattles and horns. They clearly wish to help their works council boss. It is the loudest protest this morning on the grounds of the VW headquarters on the Mittelland Canal. And it’s a present of power.

At 10:30 a.m. they stopped work and made their option to the so-called model high-rise, on the western finish of the manufacturing facility premises. They are standing there, most of them in darkish jackets, many with IG Metall hats and crimson scarves. Or with the extra refined model in black, with a white IG Metall emblem. Some put on skinny crimson plastic vests with “Warning Strike” in massive white letters.

The crowd’s noise is directed on the firm’s board of administrators, whose workplaces are on the highest ground of the high-rise constructing. The stage is true in entrance of it, with towers of audio system subsequent to it like at a rock live performance.

It is the fourth day of negotiations concerning the firm collective settlement at VW. Cavallo and IG Metall have known as on staff to go on warning strikes, with every shift ending 4 hours early. “Nationwide – ready to strike,” the employees chant repeatedly within the path of the high-rise constructing.

On the sodden meadow to the left of the stage, the bulk are sporting denims, with many sporting the grey VW work trousers and the black security sneakers by which you’ll be able to acknowledge the employees from the manufacturing facility. There are actually fewer folks working within the “direct area” – on the meeting line – than within the workplaces.

The financial savings that administration is threatening have an effect on staff in improvement, gross sales or administration much more than their colleagues within the manufacturing facility. That’s why they’re all there.

At the start of the rally, one of many floor-to-ceiling home windows on the highest ground on the far left opens. A person wearing darkish clothes steps out to the railing; he can’t be seen from under. Christiane Benner, the chairwoman of IG Metall, has simply began talking on the stage. She actually will get the VW staff fired up.

The issues within the auto trade are “crass,” says Benner, itemizing the collapse of the Chinese market, some great benefits of Chinese automobile producers and the “huge political mistake” of canceling the electrical automobile premium.

“We will not solve these problems by closing plants. VW will not solve these problems by terminating employment security,” she shouts to the staff. Thunderous applause, flag waving, horns from all instructions. An Intercity dashing previous on the opposite aspect of the canal can’t be heard amid the din of protest.

“A car that normal people can afford”

Then Benner calls for a ten % wage waiver from the board of administrators and “finally a Volkswagen again. A car that normal people can afford.” Even after that, it will get very loud in entrance of the high-rise constructing.

The IG Metall boss additionally makes use of the looks to make sharp accusations towards politicians. The debt brake should go, she calls for, and Germany should develop industrial coverage. She additionally receives approval for this. Many staff do not feel like massive politics. They are merely afraid for their very own job.

Katrin Mehr, for instance, who has been with VW for 28 years, stands after the rally in entrance of the Volkswagen Arena, the place collective bargaining is happening in a convention room that day.

“My area itself is affected, the entire department is closed,” says the specialist mechanic. The temper amongst colleagues was horrible and there have been fears about their very own future. There are not any different VW staff in her household, however reasonably craftsmen and cooks, says Mehr. “I was lucky enough to have job security.”

Cavallo reiterates her crimson strains

The firm has now terminated this job assure and layoffs can be attainable from July. “The board has massively betrayed the trust of the employees,” says Axel Wiedemann, who has been in VW’s gross sales division since 2003.

There is nice uncertainty among the many workforce. Wiedemann sees this primary hand, as a result of the 57-year-old is likely one of the union’s store stewards within the firm. Through this community, IG Metall has a extra direct line to staff than administration.

When it involves her calls for, Cavallo can subsequently be fairly positive that she has her colleagues behind her. At the rally, she reaffirmed her crimson strains: no manufacturing facility closures, no mass layoffs, no harsh measures in firm wages.

In the high-rise constructing behind her, these calls for prompted folks to shake their heads from the beginning. How, many individuals ask, can the group’s financial savings targets be achieved on this manner? From the managers’ viewpoint, the staff’ supply to postpone the cost of a wage enhance and to make working hours extra versatile is much from sufficient.

The firm’s chief negotiator, Arne Meiswinkel, indicated what was at stake earlier than the collective bargaining negotiations started: We want to seek out additional financial savings potential right this moment, he mentioned. “This is the only way we can finance our investments in a future-oriented product portfolio until the 2030s.”

This signifies that provided that prices fall can VW afford to develop all deliberate fashions for the approaching years. These vehicles additionally embody the “Volkswagen” ID.1, which is alleged to value round 20,000 euros.

Officially, the discussions within the soccer stadium are solely about salaries. But the whole lot performs into it. The staff demand lodging from the corporate, and the corporate does the identical. Both sides are nonetheless hoping for an settlement within the negotiations earlier than Christmas, for peace below the Christmas tree.

If not, “the New Year’s Eve fireworks will be followed by an escalation that this company has never experienced before,” mentioned Thorsten Gröger, IG Metall’s chief negotiator, to the staff within the morning.

Gröger is the final speaker on the rally in moist and chilly Wolfsburg. Many staff are already heading in direction of the manufacturing facility gates to get out of the chilly. But those that stay are making a number of noise. This time they solely shortened their shifts by 4 hours. Massive strikes are threatening from January.

is a enterprise editor and studies on all matters associated to the automotive trade for WELT.