Overview

• Ford and IG Metall reached a preliminary agreement on key terms for job security and restructuring at the Cologne plant.
• The agreement requires approval from Ford’s U.S. headquarters before further steps can be taken.
• Strikes, including the first-ever 24-hour work stoppage in Ford’s history, were organized to protest plans to cut 2,900 jobs by 2027.
• Ford Germany has struggled with persistent losses and weak sales of its Cologne-built electric vehicle models, prompting cost-cutting measures.
• IG Metall has warned that if the U.S. headquarters rejects the agreement, strike actions will resume and escalate.