Volkswagen CEO's Speech to Workers Drowned Out By Boos After He Says Company 'Isn't Operating in a Fantasy World'

Oliver Blume, Volkswagen's CEO, speaks to the media in Berlin during a press conference in May. He was booed by Volkswagen workers during a speech this week as the company has said difficult measures would have to be taken, including closing plants, to cut costs. (Credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Volkswagen's CEO was met by a litany of boos from workers when he said the company isn't "operating in a fantasy world" this week as the German automaker threatens to shutter plants and slash thousands of jobs as part of cost-cutting measures, according to a report.

Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume was speaking to about 20,000 workers at the company's main plant in Wolfsburg, which employs about 60,000 workers, that was attended by German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, Reuters reported.