Unions warn Volkswagen against 'historic mistake' of plant closures

Tensions at the car-making giant are running high as the specter of plant closures, which would be a first for the company in Germany, has set it on a collision course with the IG Metall union, which has vowed to fight any such moves.

IG Metall must also negotiate new labor deals for the core VW brand's 130,000 workers in Germany, after the group earlier this month ended agreements that had safeguarded employment at six of its plants in Western Germany since the mid-1990s.