Volkswagen workers threaten strike from January 2027 over labour dispute

Workers at German automaker Volkswagen have warned that they could launch a strike on January 1, 2027, if the company’s management refuses to change its position on collective bargaining.

The warning was issued by Thorsten Gröger, regional head of the IG Metall trade union in Lower Saxony and the union’s chief negotiator with Volkswagen, following a meeting in Hanover.

Gröger said large-scale strikes could begin at Volkswagen plants if management failed to reverse its decision to unilaterally suspend collective bargaining by the end of next week.

Daniela Cavallo, head of Volkswagen’s Works Council, also criticised the company’s cost-cutting plans, arguing that employees should not bear the main burden of the savings measures.

On September 30, Volkswagen announced that, amid economic difficulties and efforts to reduce costs, it had decided to unilaterally terminate several internal collective agreements signed with IG Metall.

The decision has intensified tensions between the company and the union, raising the prospect of industrial action as the two sides remain at odds over employment conditions and the distribution of the burden of cost reductions.

The dispute centres on management’s restructuring efforts and workers’ demands for their existing collective agreements to be respected.

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