VW reshapes its lineup as unions push back on jobs and plants
Volkswagen Group unveils a plan to dramatically shrink its model lineup and simplify options to cut complexity and better match demand, without an explicit promise of plant closures or job cuts in its public statement. Reuters, however, reports the move faced a 12-7 vote against changes and underscores the unions’ power on VW’s supervisory board, with protests by IG Metall highlighting ongoing tensions. Earlier talks had floated tens of thousands of potential job losses and even plant closures, illustrating the clash as VW fights tariffs and market share declines in China and North America while balancing capacity (roughly 9 million demand vs. 10 million capacity).
