Steinbach: Fight to preserve jobs at Goodyear
Brandenburg's Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (SPD) wants to fight to save jobs at tire manufacturer Goodyear in Fürstenwalde. "It is particularly important to me to support the employees as best I can and, ideally, to reverse the decision; that is my top priority," Steinbach told the German Press Agency. He is currently holding talks to clarify the situation. "It is therefore still too early for details," he emphasized. Goodyear plans to cease tire production in Fürstenwalde by the end of 2027. 750 jobs are then expected to be cut.
On Tuesday, the Left Party parliamentary group in the state parliament called for an industrial foundation in the state as a consequence of Goodyear's closure plans. The aim is to secure the industrial cores, said parliamentary group leader Sebastian Walter: "This closure would be a disaster not only for the 750 employees and their families, but also for the suppliers and the entire region." The state government should therefore invest in important companies via a foundation or even buy them in order to ensure the necessary restructuring and secure jobs.
The red-black-green coalition rejected this proposal by the left-wing parliamentary group. "Goodyear's announcement is definitely not good news for Fürstenwalde and for the business location in East Brandenburg," said Ludwig Scheetz, Parliamentary Secretary of the SPD parliamentary group. However, Scheetz sees good opportunities for the employees to find work elsewhere: He assumes that, in view of the shortage of skilled workers, there are good opportunities to develop new prospects for employees, particularly in the region, said Scheetz. "This may not necessarily require a foundation."
Green parliamentary group leader Benjamin Raschke also rejected the establishment of a foundation: "To be honest, we don't see nationalization as a solution," he said. AfD MP Steffen Kubitzki expressed the same opinion: "Nationalization is not an option for us."
Only a small part of the Goodyear site in Fürstenwalde is to be retained: Rubber compounds are produced there and supplied to the other plants in Europe. In addition, tire production in Fulda is to be closed. Cheap imports from Asia and inflationary pressure were cited as reasons for the difficult situation.
Steinbach is exploring ways to alter Goodyear's decision to cease production, considering the impact it would have not only on the 750 employees but also on local suppliers and the region's economy. Despite Goodyear's plans to retain a portion of the site for rubber compound production, economic policy interventions, such as investing in crucial companies or establishing a foundation, could potentially preserve more jobs and stimulate local development.
Source: www.dpa.com
