A participant wearing a costume of the Grim Reaper stands at the plant's entrance as employees of German car maker Volkswagen (VW) take part in a rally called by German trade union IG Metall to protest against restructuring and mass job cut plans at the VW plant in Zwickau, eastern Germany on July 9, 2026. IG Metall is organising protests by VW workers outside plants across the country on July 9, when the carmaker's bosses will present the restructuring plans to the supervisory board. Europe's largest carmaker has come under intense pressure from US tariffs, slimmer profit margins from electric cars and above all intense competition in China, the world's largest auto market. VW, whose 10 brands range from mass-market Seats to premium Porsches, is already in the process of axing 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030, including 35,000 at its namesake marque. (Photo by Jens SCHLÜTER / AFP via Getty Images)