Thyssenkrupp Steel: 11,000 jobs at risk – IG Metall sounds the alarm!

Thyssenkrupp Steel: 11,000 jobs at risk – IG Metall sounds the alarm!

Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe is facing a massive restructuring that includes cutting a total of 11,000 jobs. This decision, announced at the end of November 2022, aims to reduce the workforce from almost 27,000 currently to 16,000 by 2030. 5,000 jobs are to be eliminated internally through adjustments in production and administration, while 6,000 additional jobs are to be outsourced through outsourcing to external service providers or business sales. Human resources manager Dirk Schulte confirmed the plans for job cuts in an interview with WAZ and made it clear that the number of 11,000 has been fixed and the focus is on integrating the affected employees into new jobs.

As a result of these decisions, a comprehensive social plan is being sought, which should contain regulations on severance payments, partial retirement and transfer companies. Collective bargaining with IG Metall is expected shortly. These discussions could be decisive in determining how the dismantling can be made socially acceptable. Schulte emphasizes that it is important to find concrete solutions for the affected employees.

Resistance from IG Metall

IG Metall has already announced opposition to the plans and is demanding that operational layoffs and site closures be ruled out. The union is also demanding long-term financing for Thyssenkrupp as a prerequisite for the negotiations. The future of the company and job security are at stake, and IG Metall has made it clear that it will use all available means of industrial action if necessary.

The current situation represents the largest restructuring in the history of Thyssenkrupp. Despite both sides' willingness to talk, a quick breakthrough in the negotiations is viewed as unlikely. The challenges facing the company are reflected only too well in the union's demands, which set clear conditions for future talks: no redundancies, no site closures and secured financing for the future.

How the negotiations will develop and whether an agreement can ultimately be reached remains to be seen. The coming weeks could be crucial for the future of the company and its employees. South German newspaper reports that all stakeholders involved hope for a solution that meets the needs of employees while at the same time ensuring the economic stability of the company.

For further information about developments at Thyssenkrupp, the article is also available Ruhr24 a source worth reading.