Thousands of Volkswagen workers were to go on strike Monday in an escalating industrial dispute at the crisis-hit German auto giant with thousands of jobs at stake. Its woes reflect a broader crisis in the European auto industry, with demand weak and the transition to electric cars slower than expected.

Thousands of Volkswagen workers were to go on strike Monday in an escalating industrial dispute at the crisis-hit German auto giant with thousands of jobs at stake. Its woes reflect a broader crisis in the European auto industry, with demand weak and the transition to electric cars slower than expected.