Volkswagen HR chief says expects five-digit number of job cuts: FAZ

BERLIN (Reuters) - Volkswagen expects the shift to electric cars to cost a five-digit number of jobs in coming years, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported, citing the carmaker's human resources chief. Karlheinz Blessing, who sits on VW group's nine-member top management board, said the carmaker will need to cut the number of jobs in production as assembly of electric engines requires fewer workers than making combustion engines, the newspaper said, citing an interview to be published in Saturday's edition. VW's works council, currently in talks with VW's brand management over a turnaround plan for the core VW brand, expects up to 25,000 staff to be cut over the next decade as older workers retire. Blessing reaffirmed there will be no forced dismissals at Europe's largest automaker. Management and labor leaders are seeking to reach agreement on cost cuts and strategy in time for a Nov. 18 meeting of the supervisory board to approve future spending plans. (Reporting by Andreas Cremer; editing by Edward Taylor)