German autoworkers protest as VW, Mercedes-Benz warn of plant closures

September 22, 2026 at 07:40 PM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Workers at Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and VW protested across Germany on Monday against looming job cuts. VW Group wrote down $11.5 billion on Friday, partly due to a $6.9 billion impairment on its Porsche stake. Mercedes-Benz warned it may close one German assembly plant and one powertrain plant unless costs are cut.

Key Facts

VW Group wrote down $11.5 billion (€10 billion) on Friday, including $6.9 billion (€6 billion) related to its 75 percent stake in Porsche.
Mercedes-Benz warned workers it may close one German assembly plant and one German powertrain plant unless it can save costs.
Protests took place at Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, VW, and their suppliers, led by IG Metall union.
VW brand head Thomas Schaefer told a staff meeting the company will significantly step up its performance program.
Porsche's profit margin fell below that of Skoda due to slowing sales in China and overinvestment in electric vehicles.

VW Group Write-Down

VW Group wrote down $11.5 billion (€10 billion) on Friday. $6.9 billion (€6 billion) of the write-down resulted from its 75 percent stake in Porsche. Porsche's profit margin fell below that of Skoda after slowing sales in China and an overly aggressive push into electric vehicles. VW brand head Thomas Schaefer told a staff meeting the company will significantly step up its performance program.

Mercedes-Benz Warning

Mercedes-Benz became the latest automaker to warn workers about potential plant closures. The company said it might have to close one German assembly plant and one German powertrain plant unless it can save costs.

Union Protests

Workers protested at Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, VW, and their suppliers. IG Metall union led the protests. IG Metall head Christiane Benner said corporate leaders must take responsibility for Germany as an automotive nation, for employees, and for jobs.