German Works Council Elections Highlight Growing Tensions Over Job Security and Investment

Works council elections across Germany are reshaping representation at major industrial players, with fresh mandates secured and new battles looming over job guarantees, investment direction, and wage demands.

In Osnabrück, Volkswagen’s top employee representative Daniela Cavallo is preparing for re-election on a platform that has shifted significantly. On Wednesday, she signaled openness to taking on defence contracts at the plant — a move aimed at securing the 2,200 jobs beyond mid-2027, when current production orders run out. "Plant closures are not an option for me," Cavallo stated, echoing CEO Oliver Blume. In her last election she won 85.5 percent of the vote.

At the same time, the works council had pushed for a special bonus for workers, citing a net cash flow of €6 billion. But an external expert report blocked the payout before the June works council elections.

In Hesse, the Continental plant in Korbach re-elected Jörg Schönfelder as works council chief on Friday. The newly formed 23-member body represents roughly 3,000 employees at the site. Turnout reached 58.5 percent, with 1,793 of 3,065 eligible workers casting ballots. A notable feature: the works council assumes a transitional mandate for the spun-off OESL division, while the executive committee shrank to seven members.

Down south in Salzgitter, works council leader Björn Harmening pushed back against rumours of a possible plant closure. He pointed to legally binding protection agreements signed in 2024. Despite global trade conflicts and U.S. tariffs, Harmening insists battery cell production remains the site’s future pillar.

Across the railway sector, the EVG union took stock of the 2026 works council elections in early June. Many committees have already begun work. A supervisory board election at Transdev is planned for summer.

Not all workplaces are calm. At the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, works council chairman Andreas Taust criticised a planned staff reduction of about 200 out of 800 jobs by the end of 2027. He slammed the lack of worker consultation and the absence of a social plan.

In retail, tensions are escalating. Verdi called nationwide warning strikes for Thursday and Friday, demanding a 7 percent wage hike. Employers have offered increases that would not begin until late 2026.

en | boerse | 69490578 |