Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume revealed an audacious restructuring project for the German automaker, which includes the elimination of up to 100,000 jobs and the gradual closure of production at four factories in Germany. The initiative aims to completely transform the VW brand into a new business entity.
This ambitious proposal represents the biggest reformulation in the company’s 89-year history. Blume, together with Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz, is leading a deep reconfiguration of the business, which sees the creation of separate units for both the core Volkswagen brand and its parts operations.
The strategy presented exceeds the goals of a program already underway that aimed to cut 50,000 jobs. Notably, this new movement occurs despite an agreement signed in 2024 with unions, which guaranteed no shutdown of German factories throughout this decade.
Manufacturing units in Germany that will be impacted by the changes
The company plans to interrupt production activities at the plants in Hanover, Zwickau and Emden in the medium term, in addition to the Audi factory in Neckarsulm, shortly after the life cycle of the current models. Together, these units employ around 40 thousand people and have an annual production capacity of 750 thousand vehicles.
Another pillar of the plan involves a significant reduction in investments planned by Volkswagen. The expectation is that the company will reduce its contributions by approximately 15%, totaling just over 130 billion euros over the next five years.
Next steps and presentation of the concept for 2030
The concept titled “Group Target Picture” for the year 2030 was presented by Blume to the automaker’s executive board. The CEO now plans to submit the detailed plan for approval to the supervisory board on July 9th.
Union and factory council react to the restructuring plan
In light of the revelations, Volkswagen’s works council and the influential IG Metall union have already expressed strong opposition. In a joint statement, the entities warned that they will use all possible efforts to stop the measures, if the company’s management decides to implement them.
Despite the magnitude of the announcement about the restructuring and personnel cuts, Volkswagen shares registered little fluctuation in the capital market after the information was released.