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Last week, employees at Volkswagen launched a two-hour strike across nine plants in Germany, spotlighting their resistance to proposed pay cuts. With factory closures looming, workers are rightfully upset over the need for cost reductions that management attributes to a drastic drop in European auto sales, which have plummeted from an annual 16 million vehicles to around 14 million. The ramifications of these changes are felt deeply as reduced sales translate to diminished profits and fewer workers retained.