Weak demand

Thyssenkrupp’s steel division plans to cut 11,000 jobs

(Bild: AFP)

Germany's largest steel producer Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe plans to cut several thousand jobs in the coming years. Within six years, the number of jobs is to shrink from the current 27,000 to 16,000, as the company announced.

Accordingly, around 5,000 jobs are to be cut by the end of 2030 through "adjustments in production and administration". A further 6000 jobs are to be outsourced to external service providers or business sales. This is one of the key elements of an industrial concept for the future.

Weak demand on the steel market
The company, which is majority-owned by the industrial group Thyssenkrupp, is thus reacting to the weak demand on the steel market. Production capacities are to be reduced from the current 11.5 million tons per year to just 8.7 to nine tons. This corresponds to the shipment volume of the previous financial year.

(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT)

The aim is to create long-term prospects for as many employees as possible, says Thyssenkrupp's Head of Steel Dennis Grimm. The company will therefore adapt to the changed market conditions through targeted capacity adjustments and cost reductions. "Comprehensive optimization and streamlining of our production network and processes is necessary to make us fit for the future."

Steel division to go its own way
Parallel to the cost-cutting program, the parent company Thyssenkrupp wants to push ahead with the independence of the steel division. The Czech energy company EPCG, owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, currently holds a 20 percent stake, which is to be increased to 50 percent in a next step.

The steel division has long been under pressure; cheap imports from Asia, high costs and weak demand have led to loss-making business. In terms of climate protection, large investments are also needed to improve the carbon footprint of energy-intensive steel production. In Duisburg, "green steel" is to be produced using hydrogen in the future; the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia are funding an expensive new plant with a total of two billion euros.

Despite the substantial financial injection from the state, the project is an expensive affair for Thyssenkrupp Steel. According to media reports, an exit from the project had been considered internally. The company is now emphasizing that it is sticking to its plan to complete the direct reduction plant, which is already under construction. At the same time, "constructive talks" are being held "to ensure the profitability of this major investment project under the rapidly changing conditions".