Volkswagen negotiator and Head of Collective Bargaining Policy, Nicola Ehricke (L) shake hands with Thorsten Groeger, negotiator of the IG Metall metalworkers union at a third round of negotiations between management and workers' representatives on a new deal for the crisis-hit company, at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, northern Germany on November 20, 2024. Auto giant Volkswagen will face strikes of a magnitude unseen in Germany for decades unless it rules out plant closures, a union warned on November 20, ahead of fresh talks. The union representing workers at Europe's biggest carmaker also presented proposals it said would save 1.5 billion euros (USD 1.58 billion) in labour costs without the need for drastic steps. The crisis at the carmaker, facing problems ranging from high costs to slowing sales in China, erupted in September when it said it was mulling the closure of factories at home in Germany for the first time. Ahead of negotiations, the IG Metall union urged management to heed their suggestions and drop their most dramatic plans. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP) (Photo by RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images)