(FILES) Employees Max Bruehmann (L) and Heiko Gruner wear face masks as they work on the assembling of a Volkswagen ID.3 electric car at the plant of German car maker Volkswagen (VW) in Zwickau, eastern Germany, after production restarted on April 23, 2020 amid the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Ailing auto giant Volkswagen plans to close at least three factories in Germany and slash tens of thousands of jobs as part of drastic cost-savings drive, workers' representatives said on October 28, 2024, calling the proposed cuts "of historic dimensions". The plan laid out by management, which affects the namesake VW brand, also includes a 10-percent pay cut for all staff, the company's powerful works council said in an update to staff. (Photo by Hendrik Schmidt / POOL / AFP) (Photo by HENDRIK SCHMIDT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)