Mexican Media Brands
VW’s Labor Chief: U.S. Fines Could Prompt Global Job Cuts
Hefty fines against Volkswagen AG for rigging diesels to cheat U.S. emission standards would trigger thousands of job cuts worldwide, warns Bernd Osterloh, VW supervisory board member and chair of the company’s powerful works council.
#workforcedevelopment #labor
Share
Hefty fines against Volkswagen AG for rigging diesels to cheat U.S. emission standards would trigger thousands of job cuts worldwide, warns Bernd Osterloh, VW supervisory board member and chair of the company’s powerful works council.
Osterloh tells a meeting of 20,000 workers in Germany that an “unprecedented financial penalty” in the U.S. would have “dramatic social consequences." He urges U.S. officials to consider the societal impact when it decides penalties.
The U.S. Dept. of Justice has sued VW for as much as $42 billion (€38 billion) for violating American environmental laws. The carmaker also faces numerous state-level lawsuits, plus the expense of repairing and/or replacing 580,000 affected diesels in the U.S.
The crisis has prompted a sweeping cost-cutting effort within VW. Osterloh estimates the company could save €2 billion ($2.2 billion), in large part by streamlining its current model lineup. He opposes any staff cuts to achieve what he dismisses as an unrealistic goal of hiking productivity 10%.
RELATED CONTENT
-
On a Baby Bugatti EV, a Hybrid Boat and the Future of Works
On the diminutive electric Bugatti you didn’t know you wanted; interesting predictions about apps, electrification and data; a Scandinavian hybrid tourist boat development; the VW Arteon sedan; and employment considerations in car plants as a result of electrification
-
Bill Ford Describes Trump Meeting Over Mexico Jobs
Ford Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford reveals he met with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump a few months ago to discuss Trump’s “infuriating” comments about the company’s activities in Mexico.
-
Ford Details Plans to Refurbish Detroit Train Station
Ford Motor Co. says the centerpiece for its new advanced-mobility campus in Detroit’s historic Corktown district will be the former Michigan Central train station.