- The leader of IG Metall advocates for the upholding of "collective decision-making rights".
In the ongoing argument concerning Thyssenkrupp Steel's future, IG Metall's head, Christiane Benner, has criticized the company's leadership for abandoning the tradition of shared decision-making. She declared, during a visit to Duisburg, as per union's announcement, "This is a misguided route that management must abandon immediately." The lack of respect for shared decision-making and balanced collaboration, she noted, would lead to failure. "Now it's about collaboratively channeling all our efforts into climate-neutral transformation of factories and into sustainable, future-proof work that boosts the region," she added.
Germany's largest steel manufacturer, Thyssenkrupp Steel, has been grappling with low demand, high energy costs, excess capacity, and affordable imports in the steel division of the industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp. The parent company aims to make the steel division autonomous, which involves a substantial capacity reduction, resulting in job losses. Currently, around 27,000 individuals are employed in the division, with 13,000 based in Duisburg.
Tensions between the steel board and the company management have escalated in recent weeks regarding the division's restructuring plan. Consequently, three steel board members and four steel supervisory board members announced their resignations.
Benner: Job concerns motivate individuals
Following discussions with steel workers, Benner mentioned, "Concerns about their job security, their families, and their hometown are driving people." There's considerable anxiety and irritation over the company management's actions. However, "equally strong is the employees' resolve to fight for their jobs and a promising future for Thyssenkrupp," she continued.
The discord at Thyssenkrupp Steel is also being debated in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament this Thursday. The opposition SPD and AfD factions have filed for an emergency debate due to "unexpected additional cost risks" in constructing a multi-billion-euro facility for more environmentally friendly steel production in Duisburg, which Thyssenkrupp supervisory board chairman Siegfried Russwurm mentioned at the end of August.
The direct reduction plant, set to launch in 2027 and replace a blast furnace, is currently estimated to cost around 3 billion euros, with the federal government contributing around 1.3 billion euros and the state of NRW around 700 million euros.
The potential risks and subsequent possible cost increases are under evaluation, according to the steel division's statement. "Currently, we assume that the direct reduction plant can be implemented within the existing framework conditions," they noted in the company statement.
For the SPD, the issue of "whether the state will be prepared and capable of bearing emergency cost increases during the transition of steel production" comes up, as stated in their application for the emergency debate.
Benner expressed her concern about the future of Thyssenkrupp Steel, stating, "The misguided route of abandoning shared decision-making should be replaced with a focus on collective efforts towards a climate-neutral transformation, utilizing iron or steel technologies where necessary."
Furthermore, she emphasized, "In this restructuring process, we must prioritize the preservation of jobs that involve the production of other products, whether they be of iron or steel, to ensure a sustainable future for the region and the workforce."
