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PowerCo employees demand a job guarantee: Salzgitter's future is in danger!
In Salzgitter, the PowerCo workforce is demanding long-term job security amid collective bargaining disputes and losses worth billions.
PowerCo employees demand a job guarantee: Salzgitter's future is in danger!
Unrest is spreading at PowerCo in Salzgitter, especially after the most recent works council meeting at the end of October. The employees are demanding clear commitments to secure long-term employment. Loud automobile-production.de Works council chairman Björn Harmening warned against false savings signals that could endanger the future of battery production. His message is clear: the employees' patience is at an end.
PowerCo SE, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, has around 1,200 employees and is responsible for the development and production of battery cells for electric vehicles. Despite its position as a central component in VW's electromobility strategy, there is no clear employment guarantee in Salzgitter - a point that alarms the works council. Although company management is reporting billion-dollar drops in profits, which is increasing the pressure on investments and future projects, there is no support for the employees.
Collective bargaining dispute proceedings
The talks with IG Metall have stalled. How igmetall.de Reportedly, the VW Group board of directors rejects binding employment guarantees, which makes negotiations even more difficult. Since November 2024, IG Metall has been calling for a wage increase of 7 percent to secure purchasing power, but this could only be linked to securing employment. Alina Roß, negotiator for IG Metall, emphasizes that securing jobs is necessary as a commitment to the location.
Meanwhile, the works council is intensifying exchanges with the state government and the general works council. It is clear that the employees and IG Metall expect substantial progress from employers. Even if IG Metall has signaled its willingness to talk, the employees demand clear commitments before they agree to a collective agreement.
The role of Volkswagen
After an attempted agreement in December 2024, as on tagesschau.de can be read, Volkswagen has announced 35,000 job cuts by 2030, but all plants will be retained until then. A socially acceptable implementation was promised and redundancies for operational reasons are excluded until the end of 2030. Nevertheless, uncertainty remains at the locations, especially in Salzgitter, where there is a lack of a clear strategy and long-term planning.
The ongoing collective bargaining and discussions about training and the creation of resilient structures show how important local value creation is for the future of PowerCo and thus for the entire region. Employees need a firm footing in order to be able to master the challenges of electromobility.
Overall, PowerCo is at a crucial point. The demands for a long-term employment guarantee and clear location plans are essential to secure the future of employees and Volkswagen's electromobility strategy. It remains to be seen whether the group is prepared to meet these demands.