Volkswagen plans to cancel ten collective agreements, sparking union backlash
Volkswagen intends to terminate ten of its company-wide collective bargaining agreements, including the main wage and hours pact, prompting strong opposition from IG Metall and works councils.
Volkswagen announced plans to withdraw ten of its in-house collective agreements, notably the Manteltarifvertrag that sets working hours for about 100,000 staff in Germany. The terminations are slated to be filed by Wednesday and could take effect from January 2027 at the earliest. IG Metall and works council leader Daniela Cavallo condemned the step, calling it a foul play aimed at cutting employee compensation.
Affected provisions include a supplemental pay option that lets workers choose between six extra days off or a payment equal to 27.5% of a month’s salary, as well as other allowances and training rules. The move follows a scheduled review of the 2024 tariff deal, which contained job-cut measures but protected against layoffs until 2030; that deal itself remains untouched. Union officials warned of a possible intense dispute around the turn of the year, noting that the end of the peace clause in the cancelled remuneration agreement would open the door to strikes.
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Why it matters
The cancellations could reshape pay and working conditions for VW's 100,000 German workers and trigger industrial conflict.
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