Car maker
VW boss Diess: fear of job cuts “not the goal”
Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG. Photo: Carsten Koall / dpa
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Does VW want to cut up to 30,000 jobs? The Volkswagen group boss Herbert Diess denies. He confirmed job security until 2029. Nevertheless, something should change.
Volkswagen Group boss Herbert Diess has again emphasized to the employees that they are not aiming for any job cuts in the form of an additional savings program in the coming years.
“Nobody should be afraid,” he said on Tuesday in an internal round to which the workforce could submit questions. If the impression arose that targeted cuts were being made, then that was “not the goal”. “We are a social enterprise,” said Diess. “We have announced job security until 2029.”
The CEO recently had to listen to clear criticism, especially from works council chief Daniela Cavallo, after a number of allegedly up to 30,000 endangered positions had made the rounds. Existing programs that provide for the creation of new jobs while eliminating older ones are “in the process of being implemented,” said Diess. In addition, the following applies: “There is no plan to cut 30,000 employees.”
What he is interested in are general considerations on how to achieve greater efficiency: “We are talking to the works council about a future plan for Wolfsburg. What does Wolfsburg have to look like in 2030, 2035 so that it is future-proof? It is not primarily about job cuts. It’s about being competitive in the new world with new skills. But some old jobs will certainly be lost by then – out of the competition. You have to prepare for it. “
Fear should not arise, explained Diess. “But I think so: we need a jolt to recognize this new world and face this competition.” With appropriate preparation, Wolfsburg could withstand US rival Tesla with its new factory near Berlin. “But we have to reinvent ourselves, we need a new start.” All locations would be involved in the electrification. The works council is calling for at least one more electric model for the main plant in Wolfsburg before the Trinity, which will start in 2026.
Regarding the ongoing chip crisis, Diess said that Bosch and Continental are currently the “most difficult suppliers for us”. The two major partners and other suppliers are in the process of restoring security of supply step by step. But: “Unfortunately, next year we will not be able to build all the cars that we could build.” In the first half of 2022 you will “experience a more stable driving style again”. In the second half of the year there will probably be an opportunity to “be able to build significantly more volume”.