HAMBURG -- Germany's biggest labor union criticized Volkswagen for a recent "racist" advert and other "errors."
Management had damaged the automaker's reputation and put jobs at risk,the IG Metall union said in an open letter to the automaker's management and supervisory boards.
Last week VW withdrew an advert posted on its official Instagram page for the Golf that it admitted was racist and insulting, saying it would investigate how it came about and draw consequences.
IG Metall, the main union for VW workers in Germany, also highlighted recent software problems that halted deliveries of the new Golf, saying it made "the disaster even worse!"
"This poor public image destroys the customer confidence that has grown over decades and thus endangers our jobs. Moreover, the entire workforce suffers every day from the loss of our company's reputation," the union representatives wrote on Thursday.
VW's key ID3 hatchback, the first of its new generation of battery-powered cars, has also been hit by software glitches, although the automaker has reaffirmed that the summer launch date in Europe is still on track.
VW's management and supervisory boards declined to comment.
VW's reputation has been tarnished in the last five years after it admitted cheating diesel emissions tests.