Volkswagen to close three factories in Germany

Cavallo said at a meeting of Volkswagen workers at the company's Wolfsburg headquarters that the management is also intended to cut jobs in other factories, German news agency DPA reported.

She said that “all VW factories are affected by these plans. No one is safe”.

The company has not provided details about its plans. But, the chief of staff, Gunnar Ciliaan, said in a communiqué that “the fact is that the situation is serious and the responsibility of the negotiating partners is enormous”, it reported. DPA.

Volkswagen said in early September that changes in the automotive industry mean the company does not rule out the possibility of closing factories in the country and that it will be forced to give up its commitment to protecting jobs, which has been in force since 1994 and is expected to remain such until 2029.

Volkswagen's chief executive, Oliver Blume, mentioned the competitors, the deterioration of Germany's position as a productive country, and the need to “acted decisively”.

Without sweeping measures to reverse competitiveness, we will not be able to make big investments in the future”, Ciliaan said.

European automotive producers are facing great competition from cheap Chinese electric cars.

Volkswagen said last month that the company's six-month results show it will not reach its 10 billion-euro target in spending maintenance by 2026.

Volkswagen has 120,000 workers in Germany, with 10 factories. /rel/