Future of the VW Osnabrück plant: Concern about 2,300 jobs remains!

Future of the VW Osnabrück plant: Concern about 2,300 jobs remains!

At the Volkswagen plant in Osnabrück, the situation surrounding production after 2027 is becoming increasingly exciting. The future of the location is in focus, as production of Porsche models there is expected to end in 2026 and production of the popular VW T-Roc convertible will end in mid-2027. This means that around 2,300 employees are facing uncertain times, which raises the question of how the plant will continue to be used. Boltwise reports that IG Metall makes it clear that there will be no factory closures if products other than cars are manufactured after 2027.

Thorsten Gröger, the district manager of IG Metall, has emphasized several times that it is important to secure the transition for the workforce. During collective bargaining in December, an agreement was reached that excludes redundancies for operational reasons. “We will of course insist on our rights,” said Gröger. However, the beautiful appearance of collective bargaining is overshadowed by the all-important question: What happens if none of the old orders are pending and a follow-up order is a long way off? Time reports that There is currently no concrete plan for new production orders after 2027, which increases the uncertainty.

Interested potential buyers

However, there is a ray of hope: Rheinmetall AG is interested in using the plant in the future. The CEO, Armin Papperger, said that Osnabrück was “in play” for additional capacities. In the spring, a delegation from Rheinmetall visited the plant to discuss possible usage scenarios. However, these discussions have so far been open-ended, which means that concrete decisions are still pending. MaschinenMarkt adds that IG Metall is urging that Volkswagen must offer its employees reliable prospects beyond 2027.

The explosiveness of the situation is underlined by current developments in the automotive and defense industries. While Porsche is faced with layoffs in connection with its battery subsidiary Cellforce, Rheinmetall is entering the market with record profits. The employees in Osnabrück are looking forward to a time in which not only their jobs, but also the future of the entire region are at stake. The coming months will be crucial in clarifying whether employees can continue to work at the plant or whether new paths need to be taken.

The VW share was temporarily quoted at 101.65 euros in XETRA trading, which indicates that the company is still very popular despite the uncertainties surrounding the Osnabrück plant. While the focus remains on the future of the plant, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop and whether new perspectives will open up for the workforce.