VW Works Council Head Open To Military Vehicle Production

WOLFSBURG (Germany), March 6 (Bernama-dpa) -- Volkswagen's works council head Daniela Cavallo has expressed openness for the German carmaker to take part in defence projects, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

Germany and Europe need to become more independent in the field of defence, she told dpa. Cavallo highlighted the changing global landscape and emphasised the importance of Europe establishing a counterbalance. 

The Osnabrück plant in Lower Saxony could be a potential site for such projects, she said. The production of the Porsche models built in Osnabrück will end this year, and the production of the VW T-Roc convertible will cease in mid-2027.

Cavallo noted that the subsidiary MAN has been building military trucks in a joint venture with Rheinmetall for years.

In February, vehicle prototypes developed at the Osnabrück site were presented at a defence trade fair ​to gauge market interest.

The automotive industry remains in a precarious situation, with geopolitical conflicts and trade disputes putting pressure on the sector, Cavallo said.

She firmly rejected new savings programmes at the expense of the workforce.

At the end of 2024, after lengthy negotiations and several warning strikes, VW and the IG Metall trade union agreed on a restructuring programme that will see 35,000 jobs cut in Germany by 2030.

In return, the company reinstated and extended its previously terminated job security agreement until 2030.

Cavallo reiterated that plant closures and compulsory redundancies were ruled out in the deal agreed with management.

-- BERNAMA-dpa