Trouble at mill... Vw on the rocks

[fredgroves]

Looks as though vw are also ditching their independent software organisation to develop a joint one with rivian. The failure is put down to competition internally and egoism.

Trying to become a large scale software house over night rather than paying others to do it for them....what could possibly go wrong? Actually, we know, it was the Mk8 Golf, all of the ID range and its VAG siblings.

[SRGTD]

More details reported on Reuters website today of what VW are planning in an effort to reduce their operating costs;

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volkswagen-plans-major-layoffs-shut-least-three-german-plants-works-council-head-2024-10-28/?

[Exonian]

https://youtu.be/LO5geG3wg5M?si=knpmBBKzo0Svf_sz

Plus, no idea if it’s related, VW seem to have removed a good few models from the UK configurator over the weekend. Might just be a rejig though.

[fredgroves]

They do look like they are about to have a major industrial dispute on their hands.

German works councils in general are quite powerful, as is their employment laws and then on top there is the curious governance structure of VW itself.

[joe6]

My experience of works councils in the past is that they generally took account of prevailing company economic environment in their demands but the German economy was good then. That all seems to be changing in the current climate. Estimates for future car production with EV quotas is downsizing the German workforce by about 190,000.

[SRGTD]

Link to YouTube video posted on the Polo forum yesterday; VW workers in Germany are taking strike action over management plans to close factories and cut workers’ wages. I can’t see this ending well for either VW or those affected employees………….

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsaIubgfoII

Edit; and an article from EU News website (there are similar articles on other news websites);
https://www.eunews.it/en/2024/12/02/volkswagen-crisis-doesnt-stop-workers-strike-in-germany-rising-concerns-for-italys-auto-industry/

[joe6]

I wonder how this will affect delivery times for cars? Probably significant on new orders.

[SRGTD]

I wonder how this will affect delivery times for cars? Probably significant on new orders.

I think it will become significant if there’s further strike action, and IMHO that’s highly likely.

Interesting take on VW’s current situation in the YouTube video at the link below;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lq-JrBzcpo

[fredgroves]

100,000 workers walked out this week in Germany...

This is just the start too.

[SRGTD]

100,000 workers walked out this week in Germany...

This is just the start too.

Yes, I’d put money on there being more to come. I can’t see this ending well .