In order to compensate for the shortage of younger taxpayers, the federal government plans to gradually raise the retirement age from 65 to 67 starting in 2012. The planned change sparked fierce protest in many groups. On January 31, 2007, VW workers at plants throughout the country protested the planned increase in the retirement age and demanded the retention of a program allowing part-time employment prior to retirement. According to the IG Metall trade union, around 27,000 workers took part in these demonstrations. This photograph shows the central rally at VW headquarters in Wolfsburg, where thousands took a break from work to protest what they saw as the anti-social policies of the Grand Coalition.