Volkswagen's powerful labour representatives have urged lawmakers not to use the carmaker as a political football ahead of national elections next month and risk threatening jobs in Germany.

Acording to Reuters, the appeal came after the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) party called for Lower Saxony to sell its US$9bn Volkswagen stake to remove any German state influence and let the carmaker focus on improving its lacklustre profitability.

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"Volkswagen is being criticized, in parts justifiably so, but we need to be rational, because it is about the future of thousands of jobs. Workers are worried and politicians should take this seriously," the carmaker's powerful labour leader Bernd Osterloh said in a statement cited by the news agency on Thursday.

Labour leaders said 120,000 VW workers were being given a petition to sign, urging Berlin politicians not to "abuse" the carmaker during the parliamentary election campaign.

Reuters reported on Wednesday unions had called on the company to create more work for German plants by increasing investment and creating a new model.

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