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German Union Says Open to 4-Day Work Week Amid Clash With VW

  • Germany’s biggest union calls for VW to honor job agreements
  • 500,000 could take part in strikes, IG Metall negotiator says

The Volkswagen headquarters and factory in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Photographer: Yen Duong/Bloomberg
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Germany’s biggest union said it’s willing to consider a shorter work week for Volkswagen AG employees, offering a potentially crucial concession as the carmaker weighs unprecedented plant closures.

“We would be ready to talk about something like this,” IG Metall chief Christiane Benner said at a press conference Thursday when asked whether the union would be open to a compromise such as a 4-day work week. “We are open” to constructive proposals, she added.