German auto industry launches mass protests against cutbacks
On September 21, German autoworkers held a day of nationwide protests against job cuts, relocation of production, and worsening working conditions. Trade union IG Metall expects more than 100,000 workers to participate.
Actions are organized in more than 200 locations across the country—from Wolfsburg and Zwickau to Stuttgart and Ingolstadt. They take different formats: from plant meetings and "active lunch breaks" to marches and public rallies.
Protests involve employees of major automakers and parts suppliers. Activities are planned at Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, Daimler Truck, Bosch, and Mahle plants.
IG Metall says tens of thousands of automotive workers have already lost their jobs, and tens of thousands more are at risk of layoffs. The union demands that companies invest in German plants and new products instead of cutting staff and moving production.
One of the central demands is preserving the 35-hour workweek. This issue has become particularly acute after Mercedes-Benz began discussing increasing the workweek in Germany from 35 to 38 hours without a matching pay raise.
Mercedes explains that this proposal is needed to reduce labor costs and make German operations more competitive. The company also allows relocating some production abroad if costs in Germany cannot be cut.
IG Metall opposes this approach. The union demands that automakers invest in promising models, technologies, plant modernization, and worker training, while cutting costs first through management structures and excessive model lineup complexity.
There are separate demands for the German government. The union calls for lower electricity prices for industry, reducing bureaucracy, stronger trade protection for European producers, and wider use of the local content principle—producing goods in the region where they are sold.
The German automotive sector is going through one of its most challenging transformations in decades. Manufacturers face weaker demand in China, rising competition from Chinese companies, underutilization at several plants, and large spending on the transition to electric vehicles.
In Lower Saxony, actions take place in Wolfsburg, Salzgitter, Hanover, and Emden. Volkswagen employees, subsidiaries, suppliers, and logistics companies join in. In Baden-Württemberg, workers from Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bosch, Mahle, Audi, and Daimler Truck protest.
The day of protest comes on the eve of a new round of collective bargaining in metals and electrical industries. Against this backdrop, the disputes over working time, staff cuts, and the future of auto plants may become one of Germany's key labor conflicts this autumn.
Sources: Tagesschau, IG Metall, SWR
