Workers at Ford Motor Co.'s electric vehicle plants in Cologne, Germany, are expected to launch a 24-hour strike Wednesday as the Dearborn, Michigan, automaker has promised to cut thousands of jobs in Europe.

Ford in November said it plans to eliminate 4,000 jobs by the end of 2027, mostly in the United Kingdom and Germany. Underperforming EV sales, insufficient governmental support for automakers to meet regulations, increased competition from Chinese automakers and economic pressures contributed to the decision.

The automaker in March struck a deal to invest up to $4.8 billion into Ford Werke GmbH, replacing a financial support letter for the German business that's been in place since 2006. That step prompted backlash from labor union IG Metall, which called the move a "dirty trick." Ford had characterized the move as aligning its commitments with what it offers its other businesses around the world.

Ford workers in Cologne voted last week in favor of a strike, and IG Metall announced on Monday plans for the 24-hour walkout. The union said Tuesday the company has a new proposal after conversations were suspended last week.

"We will carefully listen to these proposals and consider whether the negotiations can possibly be continued this week," Kerstin Klein, 1st authorized representative of IG Metall Cologne-Leverkusen, said in a statement. "After all, we want to achieve a good result for the workforce as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, we will still go ahead with the day's strike as planned, because we will not give up the leverage of industrial action as long as there is no solution for the entire worksforce on the table."

Ford did not immediately respond Tuesday morning to a request for comment from The Detroit News.

Ford builds the eclectic Explorer SUV and Capri crossover in Cologne. The city is in the western part of the country where Ford has a body and assembly plant with 4,090 employees, a transmission plant with 1,280 people, a tool and die plant with 1,140 people, an engine plant with 810 people and a forging site with 410 people, according to Ford's website.

Adding to the instability, Ford last week withdrew its financial guidance for 2025, citing uncertainty created by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. The president instituted a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and more than 100 categories of vehicle parts being imported into the United States.

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