Would you happily accept $35,000 to move for your job? If the answer is say, then you disagree with Volkswagen employees who are upset by the offer. In fact, workers booed representatives off the stage when this incentive was announced. 

Employees boo Volkswagen over offering $35k to move 

As interest in electric vehicles declines in America but expands in Europe, many automakers are shuffling their plans. Some plants are being renovated, and some are closing. Also, new tariffs are complicating things even more. 

Volkswagen has decided to end production of the electric ID.3 in Dresden at the Transparent Factory. Workers enjoy the site because of its massive floor-to-ceiling glass walls. As a result, the assembly line won’t have any vehicles, so the site doesn’t exactly need its workforce. 

According to CarScoops, VW plans to retain 135 out of 250 positions. Also, the automaker isn’t simply firing people outright. It’s offering $35,000 as an incentive for workers willing to move to its main headquarters in Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg is about 186 miles away from Dresden. 

When this was announced during an employee meeting, workers loudly booed. The VW employees who stay in Dresden get guaranteed job security until 2024. 

Plus, in 2026, they will be included in the VW collective bargaining agreement. That means they will gain higher wages and improved benefits. 

The Transparent Factory will become a new innovation campus to partner with Dresden University of Technology. It will include artificial intelligence, chip design, material science, microelectronics, robotics, and circular economy tech fields. 

Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s Scout plant in Blythewood, South Carolina, is looking to hire 4,000 workers with production ramping up in 2027. I bet plenty of people would accept $35,000 to move there.