Following intensive negotiations between Volkswagen AG, IG Metall and the Works Council, a joint agreement entitled ‘Zukunft Volkswagen’ [Future Volkswagen ] has been concluded. The company and the Works Council are thereby jointly positioning Volkswagen AG for sustainable success. To this end, the company is realigning production capacities at Volkswagen AG's German locations. It is creating the conditions for a reduction in labour costs of €1.5 billion per year at the collectively agreed level with an agreement on the company wage settlement until 2030. The short-term effects in labour costs and the agreed structural measures through capacity reduction and a decrease in development costs will lead to cost effects of over €4 billion per year in the medium term. In addition, a reduction in capacity of 734,000 units across the German plants is planned. This will enable Volkswagen AG to lay the foundation for important investments in future products through to 2030. The structural realignment of the company at an operational and collective level will create the conditions for achieving the return-on-sales target for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in the medium term.

The newest member of the Volkswagen portfolio – the Tayron – was given a grand reception this week when employees from nearly all the different disciplines joined Wolfsburg Plant Manager Uwe Schwartz and Works Council member Jürgen Mahnkopf for the symbolic start of series production.