Trade union leaders demanded that German automaker Volkswagen hold open talks about the future of its plants in Germany after reports that the company is planning closures and mass layoffs. The IG Metall trade union said such talks would be a prerequisite for further collective bargaining negotiations, according to the union’s Thorsten Gröger. Otherwise, Gröger threatened, IG Metall would “have to plan for further escalation,” with strikes possible from December 1 onward. “Today, we expect the company to at least declare its willingness to enter into a negotiation process with us with the aim …