Automotive guru makes it clear: “Employees must make sacrifices”:
Drastic measure against the crisis: Automotive expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer demands a return to ...
schwaebische.de/wirtschaft/autopapst-macht-deutlich-mitarbeiter-muessen-verzichten-4717641
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VW Plans Major Cuts to Combat Industry CrisisVolkswagen aims to cut up to 100,000 jobs globally and halve its model lineup by 2030 amid financial pressures.
Key FactsJul 15, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: schwaebische.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: schwaebische.de
- Expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer proposes returning to a 40-hour workweek without wage compensation to reduce production expenses.
- Volkswagen faces potential elimination of up to 100,000 jobs worldwide, including closures of several German plants.
- CEO Oliver Blume indicates negotiations on both job cuts and personnel cost reductions are underway to address challenges.
- The company plans to streamline its vehicle portfolio by up to 50% and reduce variants by 75% by 2030.
Let's scrap collective bargaining autonomy for a few years.— Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, automotive expert; stated this in an interview with Schwäbische Zeitung about the temporary removal of collective bargaining autonomy.
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VW employees to work longer hours - | Dudenhöffer wants to "pay off" their sacrifices later
fr.de/wirtschaft/vw-dudenhoeffer-schlaegt-40-stunden-woche-ohne-lohnausgleich-vor-zr-94457558.html
Key FactsDudenhöffer proposes VW 40-hour week without pay adjustment
Aug 25, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
- Dudenhöffer presents a 40-hour week as a temporary measure instead of the 35 hours generally set by VW’s company tariff agreement and cites Toyota’s margin as a possible benchmark.
- Nine extraordinary works council meetings at German sites are planned for the coming days, with the first scheduled to take place in Wolfsburg on Tuesday.
- Volkswagen reported first-half 2026 revenue of 158.1 billion euros, an operating result down 11.6 percent to 5.9 billion euros and an operating margin of 3.8 percent; it expects 4.0 to 5.5 percent for the full year.
- According to Reuters information, the figure of 50,000 jobs in Germany is an indication of the possible scale of the cuts, not an approved reduction target.
The concession today could be repaid tomorrow with interest.— Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, Director of the Center Automotive Research (CAR), describing his proposal for a temporary longer workweek without pay that could be compensated later through profits.
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