Following widespread strikes by Volkswagen employees this week, a turbulent meeting over major cost-cutting plans was expected at the carmaker's German headquarters on Wednesday. Chief executive Oliver Blume was due to address workers at the plant in Wolfsburg,

STORY: Workers at nine Volkswagen plants across Germany brought production to a standstill on Monday (). They went on strike for several hours in an intensifying standoff over wages and the future of the carmaker's operations.

The head of  Volkswagen’s works council Daniela Cavallo has made it clear that the IG Metall union and the works council do not want to fight but “let off steam”.