German Auto Workers Stage Mass Walkouts as Job Cuts Loom
The demonstrations spanned some 280 sites nationwide, drawing employees from every major German automaker as well as dozens of parts suppliers, large and small. Protests unfolded in key industry hubs including Wolfsburg, Zwickau and Stuttgart, the union said in a statement.
IG Metall Chairwoman Christiane Benner placed the blame squarely on corporate leadership, accusing companies of years of mismanagement and poorly conceived crisis responses.
"Managements must finally understand: throwing people out will not save the economy," she said. "Success will only come through innovation and bold investments in products, technology, and production sites."
The union reported that the turnout included workers from Volkswagen and its subsidiaries, along with staff from suppliers and logistics partners tied to the company's development and transport operations. In Salzgitter, employees from MAN and Bosch also joined the demonstrations.
The protests come as IG Metall gears up for a fresh round of wage negotiations. The union is pushing employers to commit to deeper investment in Germany's domestic production sites and to preserve the current 35-hour working week. It has also called on the federal government to throw the industry a lifeline — specifically by cutting electricity costs and easing regulatory burdens.
The unrest reflects deepening structural pressure on Germany's auto sector, which is grappling with intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers, underutilized factory capacity, and the costly transition toward electric vehicles. In response, several automakers and suppliers have already unveiled restructuring plans aimed at slashing costs — moves that have fueled growing anxiety over potential mass layoffs and plant shutdowns.
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