Volkswagen's CEO and labour boss clashed during a staff meeting on Wednesday, with management pushing for major cuts while workers warned of more strikes as long as plant closures remain part of wage negotiations at the embattled German automaker.

Volkswagen's CEO and labour boss clashed during a staff meeting today, with management pushing for major cuts while workers warned of more strikes as long as plant closures remain part of wage negotiations at the embattled German automaker.

Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume told workers that current union proposals to cut costs offer a starting point for negotiations but don’t go far enough to address flagging competitiveness at the carmaker’s namesake brand.

Workers at nine Volkswagen car and component plants across Germany started two-hour strikes on Monday, bringing assembly lines to a halt as labour and management clash over the future of Europe's biggest carmaker.

Volkswagen workers launched rolling two-hour strikes Monday at nine plants across Germany to underscore their resistance to pay cuts and factory closures the company says are necessary to cope with a slack European auto market.