Thousands of auto industry workers in Germany protested against huge swaths of job cuts and state industrial policy Monday, following a call to mobilize by labor union IG Metall.
The protest--which was announced last month and includes workers from companies including the Volkswagen group, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Bosch--comes as the industry grapples with intensifying competition from Chinese rivals, both in China and increasingly in Europe, rising manufacturing costs and U.S. tariffs.
Volkswagen on Friday slashed earnings forecasts for the year after recently gaining approval for a fresh bout of restructuring that could double the total number of job losses to 100,000.
Mercedes cut sales expectations over the summer after outlining plans last year to become more efficient through a series of measures that include job cuts and shifting some production from its German home to lower-cost countries such as Hungary.
At BMW, executives reached agreement with labor representatives in July to cut costs that could affect up to 8,000 workers in Germany, while car-parts supplier Bosch plans to cut 13,000 over the next few years, on top of 9,000 jobs previously announced.
Speaking at Volkswagen's Wolfsburg plant on Monday, Daniela Cavallo, who leads VW's Group Works Council--its top union body--, said politicians must act with tariffs on Chinese hybrid vehicles, cutting industrial electricity prices and an EU-wide subsidy policy, among other things.
The demonstrations come the day after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saw his Christian Democratic Union party suffer election defeat in the states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin.
"From policymakers, we expect a reliable framework for investment, affordable energy, and the promotion of a 'Made in EU' approach, protection from unfair competition, financial aid for suppliers undergoing restructuring, and the preservation of early retirement schemes," IG Metall Chairwoman Christiane Benner said in a statement.
Benner added that the restructuring planned at Volkswagen will have enormous repercussions for all manufacturers and suppliers in Germany, as well as the broader industry.
"We expect top management and executives to take responsibility for Germany's automotive industry, its employees, and its jobs," she said.
Volkswagen, Bosch and Mercedes didn't reply to a request for comment.
BMW declined to comment on the protest but said that it maintains an ongoing and constructive dialogue with employee representatives and social partners.
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