Employees protest the automaker’s planned layoffs.
Ford employees in Europe—especially in Germany—are pushing back against the company’s plans to slash thousands of positions across its regional operations.
Workers at two Ford plants in Cologne have gone on strike, according to Reuters. The 24-hour walkout, union leaders say, has already cost the facility several million euros in lost production. Employees warn they’re ready to continue striking if the company doesn’t take action, including sitting down with labor leaders to negotiate.
The protest began after Ford announced it would eliminate roughly 14% of its European workforce in November, with German plants facing the deepest cuts.
Union representatives have urged the company to explore other ways to restructure its operations instead of resorting to mass layoffs.