BERLIN (Reuters) – The four German Länder affected by the possible closure of factories of the car manufacturer Volkswagen intend to join forces to prevent this outcome, according to a document consulted on Monday by Reuters.
In this document dated October 10, the Ministries of Economy of Lower Saxony, Saxony, Hesse and Berlin express their common desire to preserve the sites, without competition.
“This means that the different sites must not be put in competition with each other,” they emphasize.
“The economic departments of the federal states will act in solidarity and in close coordination with each other,” it reads.
Volkswagen, Europe’s leading automobile manufacturer, announced in early September the possible closure of at least two factories in Germany, a first, with the prospect of some 20,000 job cuts.
The group’s management will have to deal with the resistance of the metallurgical union center, IG Metall, which says it is ready for combat and tough negotiations.
(Reporting by Klaus Lauer, written by Miranda Murray; by Mara Vîlcu, edited by Sophie Louet)
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