Volkswagen Brand CEO Thomas Schaefer holds a press conference following marathon talks with Metalworkers' union IG Metall, on December 20, 2024 in Berlin. The crisis-wracked auto titan has been locked in bitter talks with unions since announcing in September that it was mulling the unprecedented step of shuttering plants in Germany. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP) (Photo by TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images)