Lower Saxony state premier Olaf Lies called on Volkswagen (VW) shareholders to work together to avert plant closures.
Volkswagen is headquartered in the northwestern German state.
“Lower Saxony is automotive country … and this must remain so,” Lies, who is also on the company’s supervisory board, said at the VW factory in Hanover on Monday.
The Hanover siteย is one โof five VW group plants facing possible closure.
Lies was visiting the factory ahead of a series of workers’ assemblies taking place this week.
During those assemblies, VW staff will have their first opportunity to question VW CEO Oliver Blume on restructuring plans.
Some 50,000 jobs could be cut to make Germany’s biggest car manufacturer competitive, Blume has warned, in addition to the 50,000 cuts that have already been agreed.
VW has been struggling amid rising competition from China and billions in US tariff costs.
VW’s supervisory board has blocked some key parts of Blume’s restructuring plans.ย
“Now it is important to me that we find joint โsolutions,” Lies said.
Works council chief โDaniela Cavallo, speaking on behalf of Volkswagen’s German workforce and who also sits on the supervisory board, reiterated her opposition to plant closures or compulsory โ redundancies, while also acknowledging the scale of the challenge of making VW competitive again.
“A programme for โthe future can’t be created or sustained simply by talking about reducing labour costs, cutting staff, and questioning the viability of locations,” Cavallo said in Hanover.