Tens of thousands of Volkswagen workers went on strike Monday in an escalating industrial dispute, with unions warning that the crisis-hit German auto giant is intent on making mass layoffs and closing factories.

Workers at nine of the automaker’s German factories walked off their jobs for several hours, and warned they would escalate the action if their demands went unmet.

Workers at Volkswagen plants across Germany walked off the job in waves on Monday for temporary work stoppages, marking the start of nationwide strikes against the German auto giant. About 66,000 VW employees - more than half of VW's factory workforce in Germany - joined the strikes,

VW workers have walked off the job this morning in Germany in reaction to proposed staff cuts and factory closures.

Volkswagen is in deep crisis as thousands of workers at nine Volkswagen factories across Germany, including its EV-only factory, are going on strike this morning, bringing assembly lines to a grinding halt.

The German car manufacturer needs to significantly cut costs and boost profitability to rival Chinese competitors

Tens of thousands of Volkswagen workers will participate in warning strikes at plants across Germany on Monday, labor union IG Metall said, marking the worst walkouts at the carmaker’s domestic operations since 2018.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen workers launched rolling two-hour strikes Monday at nine plants across Germany to underscore their resistance to pay cuts and factory closures the company says are necessary to cope with a slack European auto market.

Workers at nine of Volkswagen's care and component factories in Germany were on strike Monday amid a dispute over labor contract changes and factory closings.

Workers at nine Volkswagen car and component plants across Germany started two-hour strikes on Monday, bringing assembly lines to a halt as labour and management clash over the future of Europe's biggest carmaker.