Volkswagen's board has approved plans for 50,000 additional job cuts in Germany, deepening the carmaker's restructuring. The decision was taken at board meetings held on September 22 to 24.

The new cuts come on top of 35,000 job reductions already planned. The company also intends to phase out four German plants between 2031 and 2034. Management has terminated long-standing collective agreements, including the Manteltarifvertrag framework that governed pay and conditions.

Volkswagen blames weak demand in Europe, high energy and labour costs, and the expensive shift to electric vehicles. Competition from Chinese manufacturers has added further pressure on margins and market share.

Unions have condemned the scale of the cuts and the tearing up of labour agreements. The announcement marks one of the largest restructuring programmes in German industrial history and signals a painful transition for the country's auto sector. The cuts will fall mainly on administrative and production roles at German sites. Analysts say the full plan could take a decade to complete.