Volkswagen on the path to redemption, but at the expense of its employees

Now, what a surprise it is to see Volkswagen, this automotive giant, promising to reform itself while buying tickets for the employee departure lottery. As if enduring Dieselgate wasn't enough, we are now presented with a "repair" strategy that sounds like a bad joke at dinner. What could be more exciting? Millions spent to entice consumers and thousands of workers left behind. Charming, isn't it?

The promise of a bright future… halfway

According to Gunnar Kilian, a member of the board, "the efforts are starting to bear fruit." But what fruits are we talking about exactly? Poisoned peaches, perhaps? Between factory closures and the planned 35,000 job cuts in Germany by 2030, one wonders if this redemption is more about cleaning up the accounts than the well-being of employees. The promises of "adjusted" compensation and extended leave sound nice but are far from reassuring when we know that half of the employees would laugh if they weren't already crying.

An ethics hanging by a thread

Speaking of ethics, Volkswagen has decided to adopt a cost-saving approach through workforce reductions while touting the transparency of its new actions. What delicious irony! The sustainability so touted by the brand probably comes in a lighter framework, where each departure is justified by "it's for the good of the company." Who would have thought that being a responsible company could mean making social responsibility walk on the backs of employees?

Innovation or illusion?

And let's talk about those innovations that are supposed to save the day. The production of the legendary Golf with a combustion engine is heading to Mexico. Perfect, isn't it? Europe is selling its golf flags to create electric vehicles, while employees are suffering from a salary freeze as bright increases are promised later. As if a big check at the end of a play could erase the pain of budget cuts and workforce adjustments. But after all, who needs employee trust when you have a product that "must" appeal to the market? It’s an endless cycle, a wicker circle that one drags around like a shop window while waiting for the next trendy competitor to show up.

The road will be paved with good intentions

This is how Volkswagen continues to forge its own path toward a redemption that one wonders if it isn’t a mirage. In reality, it seems light-years away from resembling a true transformation through innovation and responsibility. Will all this end in fireworks or smoke? The answers lie in the sweet words of communicators and the deafening silence of the factories.

Source: www.auto-moto.com

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