Tens of thousands strike at Volkswagen's Germany plants

Tens of thousands of Volkswagen (VW) workers went on strike on Dec 2 in an escalating industrial dispute, with unions warning that the crisis-hit German auto giant is intent on making mass layoffs and closing factories.

HANOVER -

Waving signs reading "You want war, we are ready!" and the red flags of the powerful IG Metall Union, employees at plants across the country walked out over management plans to make huge cuts.

VW has been hit hard by high manufacturing costs at home, a stuttering shift to electric vehicles and tough competition in key market China.

The VW group - which owns 10 brands from Audi and Porsche to Skoda and Seat - said it "respects workers' rights" and believes in "constructive dialogue" in a bid to reach "a lasting solution that is collectively supported".

It also said it had taken "measures to guarantee urgent deliveries" during the strike action.

IG Metall and VW's powerful works council have fought to protect jobs since VW announced in September that it was weighing the unprecedented step of shutting some plants in Germany, where it has around 120,000 employees.

Thousands of workers marched alongside a line of new electric cars leaving the Zwickau plant as part of the industrial action, with walkouts also observed at plants from Hanover to VW's historic Wolfsburg headquarters.