Trade union leaders demanded that German automaker Volkswagen (VW) hold open talks about the future of its plants in Germany after reports that the company is planning closures and mass layoffs. Volkswagen executives and negotiators from the IG Metall trade union gathered in Wolfsburg, where VW is based, for collective bargaining talks dominated by management’s plans for deep cuts to the company’s German workforce. VW’s parent company, the Volkswagen Group, on Wednesday reported a severe slump in profits in the third quarter, pulled down by downsizing costs that put a billion-euro burden on ea…