Major steel crisis

Jobs gone: union threatens “creative anger”

The union does not want to accept any negotiations about compulsory redundancies and site closures.

(Bild: APA/dpa/Christophe Gateau)

Employee representatives and IG Metall are threatening long-term resistance and "creative anger" in view of the job reduction plans at Thyssenkrupp Stahl. They have "staying power", they say in the direction of the employers.

The Executive Board has not presented a coherent concept and wants to stick to its redundancy plans, said Knut Giesler, IG Metall district manager for North Rhine-Westphalia, after a works council conference between all steel sites and the Executive Board. "However, we are not negotiating redundancies and site closures."

Heated discussions, loud booing
The employee representatives in Duisburg had previously spent hours in discussion with the Executive Board. The talks were heated, said an IG Metall spokesperson. Loud booing could be heard from the meeting room.

The company had announced on Monday that the number of jobs at Thyssenkrupp Stahl would be reduced by 11,000 within six years. Of the current 27,000 jobs, 16,000 will then be left.

Employee representatives announce "staying power"
Giesler said that if the Executive Board does not back down, there will be actions such as extended works meetings, vigils and demonstrations. The employee representatives have a lot of staying power. "The dispute will be a marathon. We will divide our forces well." A large demonstration is already planned for December 11 at the Kreuztal site in Siegerland, which is to be closed, said Helmut Renk, head of the works council there.

Producer "systemically relevant" for the entire country
The Management Board had overshot the target of necessary savings. "This is horror news," said Thyssenkrupp Group Works Council Chairman Tekin Nasikkol. As by far the largest German steel producer, Thyssenkrupp Stahl is systemically relevant for the entire country and must be retained. Germany also needed an independent steel industry for its ability to defend itself.

Nasikkol said that he had also discussed this with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Tuesday, who had called him. Vigils have already been taking place in front of the most important site in Duisburg for 128 days. A lot could happen there in the next few days, said Giesler.