Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has said that Porsche’s increased stake in Volkswagen will not endanger jobs as the automaker’s Wolfsburg plant adds weekend shifts to make more Golfs.
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Speaking to the Bild newspaper, Winterkorn acknowledged that Volkswagen does need to improve its productivity. “That to me does not mean cutting jobs, but rather building more cars with the same team, occupying new niches, conquering new markets,” he said.
Winterkorn has ended the restructuring programme started by his predecessor Bernd Pischetsrieder and is trying to increase car sales to match capacity instead of reducing its manufacturing base and cutting jobs.
Volkswagen is already planning additional weekend production shifts at Wolfsburg, according to Reuters.
Management and the works council agreed on added shifts early on Saturday and late on Sunday, to be worked between the week starting 28 May and lasting through to the week ending 7 October.
As part of flexible working arrangements, workers have the choice of being paid (+20% overtime rate) or taking time off in lieu.
Winterkorn also told Bild that VW had no plans to build cars for Porsche and that it had to make VW products represent value for money.
