(Bloomberg) -- Volkswagen AG workers are gearing up for a second wave of walkouts across German plants on Monday, when management and labor leaders will hold a fourth round of talks over how to slash costs at the carmaker’s namesake brand.
The so-called warning strikes — designed to pressure executives during deadlocked negotiations — will last four hours, the IG Metall union said in a statement. That will mean double the production time lost at nine of VW’s German plants earlier this week.
VW is pushing for unprecedented factory closures, thousands of layoffs and 10% wage cuts at its flagship marque, which is struggling with poor demand in Europe and waning relevance in China, the world’s largest auto market. The company is trying to reduce expenses in Germany, where labor and energy costs are among the highest on the continent and its factories are being underutilized.
“It’s bordering on mockery when [Chief Executive Officer] Oliver Blume stands in front of the workforce and wishes them a Merry Christmas,” lead negotiator for Germany’s IG Metall union Thorsten Gröger said. “VW board members want nothing more than to put termination letters under their Christmas trees.”
With the stakes of the talks rising, the head of Germany’s IG Metall union Christiane Benner will join VW works council leader Daniela Cavallo and Gröger in speaking at a rally accompanying the walkouts in Wolfsburg.
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