Volkswagen’s looming dividend cut exposes sharp divide

As Volkswagen’s first dividend cut in six years looms in the wake of the diesel-emissions scandal, the car maker must balance the interests of government, labour, and family power brokers against those of investors who have felt short-changed for years.

The car maker’s two largest shareholders, the Porsche and Piech families and the state of Lower Saxony, want to protect jobs.

That interest aligns with labour leader Bernd Osterloh, who sits on Volkswagen’s supervisory board.