German plants ponder future after VW board backs 50,000 job cuts

Photo: Moritz Frankenberg/dpa The surprise agreement of a comprehensive savings package featuring 50,000 job cuts at Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen caused consternation across Germany on Friday, with the future of four major plants still uncertain.

The northern German city is home to one of the four sites, alongside Emden, Zwickau and Neckarsulm, where Volkswagen said it cannot guarantee production beyond 2031, with alternative uses for the plants being assessed.

Chief executive Oliver Blume called the agreement, which received the backing of union representatives and the company’s works council after weeks of speculation about cuts, a “strong signal for the future of the Volkswagen Group.