Volkswagen's works council has set up extraordinary staff assemblies in August for employees to question CEO Oliver Blume over restructuring plans that could impact up to 140,000 jobs.
According to an internal update sent to staff and seen by Reuters, Blume is set to address employees at the company's Wolfsburg headquarters on 25 August, with additional sessions scheduled at the Emden and Zwickau facilities the following day.
Both Emden and Zwickau feature among four Volkswagen sites that could face closure in coming years should no alternative solution emerge.
This latest development follows an internal memo circulated recently, in which Blume informed staff that a further 50,000 jobs might be eliminated – marking the company's first internal admission that total job cuts could reach 100,000.
Within that memo, Blume pointed to a 20% cost disadvantage compared with rival manufacturers, asserting that this gap made further reductions necessary.
The works council has also cautioned that possible plant closures after 2030 could put a further 40,000 jobs at risk.
A Volkswagen spokesperson told Reuters that no agreements had yet been finalised and declined to comment on the figures mentioned.
Blume's cost-cutting drive spans the entire group, which has recorded softer profits amid tariff-related costs, intensifying competition within the Chinese market, and mounting pressure to improve efficiency at its domestic manufacturing plants.
On 9 July, Volkswagen said it planned to reduce its vehicle line-up by as much as half as part of a broader cost-cutting push, though it did not disclose details on job losses or plant closures at the time.
The following day, the company's supervisory board reportedly turned down a restructuring proposal put forward by management, underlining the extent of internal opposition Blume is contending with.
Late last month, Volkswagen agreed to sell Everllence, its heavy-duty diesel engine unit, to private equity firm Bain Capital, as part of efforts to raise funds while continuing its cost-reduction programme.
