Audi Plant Workers Steal Vehicle Keys

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With the threat of assembly plants being closed in Germany, Volkswagen/Audi workers are lashing out at their bosses. One of the funniest examples is a group of workers at the Brussels facility stealing 200 Audi key fobs so the vehicles can’t leave the factory.

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Those Audis are being used as a bargaining chip by workers who are upset they’re being kept in the dark about their future job security. It’s likely the plant will be shut down as the Volkswagen Group looks to streamline and cut costs, says Fortune.

While it’s sad people will lose their jobs and families will be impacted, Volkswagen Group has become bloated and risks even more if it doesn’t take action now. And with workers in Germany costing the company big time, that’s sadly where it looks many of the cuts will be made.

In this case, the Brussels factory went from being idled for weeks to resuming partial production. But it’s unclear what the long-term plan is at this point.

The workers union is reportedly behind the theft. It claims the keys are being kept in a secure place, that the Audis won’t be stolen, and that the keys will be returned once the future of the plant’s workers has been clarified.

Audi has apparently threatened to file a lawsuit over the theft, but it isn’t clear if that’s happened yet. Fortune reached out to the automaker for comment but hadn’t heard anything.

There are a lot of opinions about the proposed Volkswagen cutbacks in Europe. Some are spinning this as being spurred solely by the rising popularity of EVs and the automaker’s inability to get onboard with the trend fast enough. Others think it’s being driven by Chinese intrusion into the European automotive market.

But there are some who think it’s high time the auto giant scales back its ties with unionized workers who increase operational expenses, hobbling the company as international competition continues rising.

Whatever it is, stealing keys to make your employer tell you what your future employment situation is doesn’t really work. Who would’ve thought?

Image via Audi

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