JOINT STATEMENT VW Supervisory Board Meeting: Escalation Averted—Executive Board Must Now Do Its Part

Joint statement on the occasion of today’s VW Supervisory Board meeting by Christiane Benner, First Chair of IG Metall, and Daniela Cavallo, Chair of the General and Group Works Council of Volkswagen AG:

“The confrontational approach and the Executive Board’s communication over the past few weeks were counterproductive. Both have led to great uncertainty among the workforce across the entire Group. In this situation, the employee representatives, together with the State of Lower Saxony, have once again taken responsibility, prevented a dangerous escalation of the conflict, and paved the way for viable solutions. To achieve this, all parties moved toward one another.

A spin-off of the core Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand and the VW components division is off the table, and the attack on the co-determination structures has thus been successfully repelled. No plant has been abandoned, and contrary to several media reports, no plant closure has been finalized. Rather, concrete solutions must now be developed for all locations—and we continue to hold the Board of Management explicitly responsible for this.

We expect the Executive Board to now do its part based on the compromise reached today and to present results promptly. It must finally get the necessary investments off the ground, drive innovation forward, and secure long-term employment. We will hold the Executive Board accountable on these points.

We recognize the challenges facing the company and are prepared to take responsibility and do our part. We have demonstrated this once again today. The work is only just beginning. However, what we will never accept—now or in the future—is placing the burden solely on the employees."

Further information: Details on the Future Plan