Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume told workers that current union proposals to cut costs offer a starting point for negotiations but don’t go far enough to address flagging competitiveness at the carmaker’s namesake brand.

The chairwoman of the Volkswagen works council on Wednesday called on management at the German auto giant to make concessions amid a wave of strikes over cost-cutting plans. "It is up to the board of management to decide how to proceed before Christmas,