FRANKFURT, Dec 6 – Volkswagen, the biggest European carmaker, said Monday in a newspaper that it would hire around 50,000 workers worldwide in the medium-term, including 5,000-6,000 in Germany by 2015.
"We have around 400,000 workers around the world today. With pursued growth in many markets, we could reach a staff of 450,000 in the medium term," VW personnel director Horst Neumann told the German financial daily Handelsblatt.
"In addition, we will have to replace 60,000 workers in the next five years," Neumann said as VW negotiates a major work contract with German unions.
The automaker will create "5,000-6,000" jobs in Germany by 2015, the VW executive said, and expected to rely less on temporary workers.
VW is in talks with the IG Metall trade union, which plans to call for pay raises after accepting sacrifices when auto markets slumped in 2009 to ensure job security for its members.
German auto manufacturers are now working hard to meet renewed demand around the world and especially in China, have terminated emergency part-time work and have shortened the 2010 Christmas break to maintain production during the holidays.
