Volkswagen, unions likely to strike deal in small hours or break off till next year, source says
Volkswagen and German unions will most likely either reach a deal in the early hours of Wednesday or adjourn until the new year, a source familiar with discussions said on Tuesday, as the two sides strive to reach a cost-cutting pact before Christmas.
After a 13-hour negotiation round on Monday ending after midnight, talks are expected to stretch even further into the early hours of Wednesday, the source said, declining to be named because discussions are private.
Both Volkswagen and labour leaders have expressed a keen interest in a deal this year, but they remain far apart on key issues, including the possibility of plant closures, which labour representatives adamantly oppose but which the carmaker insists it cannot rule out.
If no deal is reached, labour leaders have threatened to escalate strike action in the new year. With the support of the union's board, which would meet on Friday if talks collapse, worker representatives at each plant could vote for 24-hour or open-ended strikes in January.
Around 100,000 workers have already downed tools for several hours on two separate occasions in the past month in the largest strikes ever seen at the carmaker, protesting against management plans to slash wages, cut capacity and potentially shut German plants for the first time in the company's history.
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