"10,000 workers went on strike at Volkswagen."

Over 10,000 workers staged a warning strike across the country due to the inability to resolve the dispute between Volkswagen and its employees.

10 THOUSAND VOLKSWAGEN WORKERS ON STRIKE

The resistance of workers against Volkswagen's (VW) cost-saving plan, which amounts to billions of euros, continued on Monday with warning strikes at nearly all of the company's factories in Germany. More than 10,000 workers participated in the actions organized by the German Metalworkers' Union (IG Metall) nationwide.

Workers marching with banners at VW's main production center in Wolfsburg concluded their actions in front of the company's board building, chanting "We are ready for a nationwide strike." While warning strike actions took place at the entrance gates of the facilities in Zwickau and Emden, workers marched in the city center of Braunschweig.

THREAT TO ESCALATE THE ACTIONS

Thorsten Gröger, the lead negotiator from IG Metall representing the workers in discussions with VW management, stated that today's actions "hurt Volkswagen, but this is just a warning." He indicated that if Volkswagen insists on its maximum demands, the intensity of the actions will increase, saying, "Those who ignore the staff play with fire, and we know how to turn a spark into flames!"

VW Workplace Worker Representative Daniela Cavallo expressed that the upcoming round of negotiations next week will be decisive in determining the direction of the talks, stating, "If necessary, we will carry out a worker struggle worthy of Volkswagen." Dirk Schulze, the regional representative of IG Metall who organized the warning strike actions of Volkswagen workers in Zwickau, also said, "We will fight fiercely for every job. VW set the shop on fire with its cost-saving decision three months ago, and that shop is now burning."

WARNING STRIKE ACTIONS LIMITED TO TWO HOURS

In line with IG Metall's decision, warning strike actions were limited to two hours for each shift. The union aims to increase pressure on VW management through this method against plans such as salary cuts, factory closures, and layoffs that have come to the fore due to VW's cost-saving decision.

The union stated, "We did not want this conflict, but if the board insists on salary cuts instead of offering new perspectives, we will continue it. If necessary, this will be the toughest struggle Volkswagen has seen in its history." VW did not make any statement regarding the extent to which the warning strike actions affected production. A company spokesperson reported that they are trying to keep the impact of the strikes as low as possible and that they have taken measures for emergency supply in this context. Negotiations between VW and IG Metall are being conducted regarding the salaries of approximately 120,000 employees subject to the internal company agreement.