- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
Crisis-hit Volkswagen scraps German job protection deal
Volkswagen on Tuesday axed an agreement protecting jobs in Germany that had been in place three decades, as the ailing auto titan pushes ahead with a controversial cost-cutting plan.
Europe's biggest carmaker said it had officially notified unions about the end of the deal, whose current version guaranteed jobs at German plants until 2029.
Even after the deal's termination, jobs are still protected until the end of June next year.
"We must put Volkswagen in a position to reduce costs in Germany to a competitive level in order to invest in new technologies and new products from our own resources," said VW in an internal memo.
It called for talks with employee representatives to secure the "long-term competitiveness" of Volkswagen, whose brands range from Porsche and Audi to Skoda and Seat.
Volkswagen made the bombshell announcement last week that it was considering the unprecedented step of closing factories in Germany, where it employs about 300,000 people, for the first time in its 87-year history.
The group is battling high manufacturing costs in Germany, a difficult transition to electric vehicles, as well as fierce competition in key market China from homegrown rivals.
VW had already flagged earlier that a series of agreements with employee representatives would be axed. But Tuesday's move nevertheless sets the stage for a tough showdown with workers.
Daniela Cavallo, chairwoman of VW's powerful works council, vowed to put up "fierce resistance to this historic attack on our jobs. With us, there will be no layoffs".
After VW announced possible factory closures in Germany, thousands protested at the group's historic Wolfsburg headquarters last week as executives sought to justify the plans.
The trouble at Volkswagen has also come as a heavy blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government at a time the domestic economy was already struggling.
M.Carneiro--PC