San Francisco Frontiers - Volkswagen workers boo boss during speech on job cuts

VW, long a titan of German industry, has struggled with Chinese competition, US tariffs and patchy demand in Europe, including for its electric vehicles.

About 50,000 job cuts have already been agreed across the 10-brand Volkswagen Group -- mostly at VW, Audi and Porsche -- but the firm has said another 50,000 could be required worldwide to slash costs.

Speaking in front of about 10,000 workers at VW's Wolfsburg factory, CEO Oliver Blume said for the first time that it was likely "about half of the adjustments required would fall in Germany".

He also cast doubt on the long-term future of three VW plants and an Audi factory, all in Germany, while stressing the company was searching for ways to keep them open into the 2030s.

"If we carried on in Germany as we have been, we would be at a permanent disadvantage to the tune of 1.5 billion euros ($1.75 billion) a year," he said, stressing that "we are under real pressure to act".

Unions have accused VW of not being straight with workers after the latest plans were first reported by media and only later communicated internally.

Speaking to the crowd, VW Works Council chief Daniela Cavallo earned hearty applause as she accused management of keeping employees in the dark.

"Our trust in the board, in particular in its head Oliver Blume, has been damaged," she said. "You can't work with a CEO who doesn't tell his staff what's going on."

Blume's speech was repeatedly interrupted by jeering and whistling, a person present at the meeting told AFP, and workers held aloft signs saying: "Don't balance your books with our jobs".

IG Metall union leader Christiane Benner in a radio interview acknowledged the difficulties brought by Chinese competition and US tariffs but advocated cost-cutting measures other than job cuts.

Collapsing sales in China have started to look less like a blip for VW and more like the new normal at the same time as Chinese competitors like Chery and BYD gain market share in Europe.

Other carmakers have warned that German auto plants need to learn to do more with less as cost pressure has risen.

BMW opened a new plant in lower-cost Hungary last year and Mercedes-Benz unveiled an extension to its Hungarian Kecskemet plant last month, making it the firm's largest in Europe.

Mercedes-Benz has a cost gap of about 70 percent between its Hungarian and German operations, CEO Ola Kaellenius said last month.

Any cuts at Volkswagen have to be negotiated rather than imposed, setting the scene for protracted and difficult talks.

Labour representatives have half the seats on supervisory boards at big companies under Germany's system of co-determination.

The German state of Lower Saxony -- a shareholder that is home to several VW plants including the Wolfsburg factory -- also holds seats on the board.

Y.Gomez--SFF