|
The cost-cutting target itself still stands,
though, the sources said.
Volkswagen and McKinsey declined to comment.
The move underlines how much relations between management and
workers have soured at Europe's biggest carmaker, which is
struggling to raise profits amid stagnating emerging markets and
low growth at home.
Late last month, Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn told
employees he sought 5 billion euros worth of efficiency gains at
its core passenger-car brand by 2017.
The sources said managers had commissioned McKinsey to help
streamline production and cut costs at VW, a company at which
employees enjoy multi-year job guarantees.
Last week, Volkswagen said it had replaced its production chief
Michael Macht after a new modular vehicle design failed to
translate into higher profits at its main factory in Wolfsburg,
Germany.
Rather than greater efficiencies in production, the new vehicle
assembly components used on Volkswagen's flagship Golf model
caused costly overtime work and delays, leading the company to
report a drop in operating profit.
($1 = 0.7491 euro)
(Reporting by Edward Taylor, Andreas Cremer, Irene Preisinger;
Editing by Maria Sheahan)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
