According to the works council, Thyssenkrupp management is said to have largely left employee representatives out when it came to the new co-owner EPCG. There is also a need for discussion elsewhere.
Thousands of employees from the Thyssenkrupp steel division want to demonstrate in Duisburg today against the management’s approach to the deal with the new co-owner EPCG. They want to express their displeasure with the company’s board of directors at a protest rally.
They accuse management of having inadequately informed employee representatives in advance about the recently decided sale of a share in the steel division. Thyssenkrupp rejects the allegations.
The works council and the IG Metall union have called for participation. The rally takes place in front of the steel headquarters. More than 10,000 participants are expected.
Speeches by Bas, Heil and Laumann announced
According to the works council, Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (both SPD) and North Rhine-Westphalia’s Labor Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) also want to speak to the employees. Bas has her federal constituency in Duisburg.
The steel division of the Thyssenkrupp Group is Germany’s largest steel manufacturer. Around 27,000 people are employed, including 13,000 in Duisburg. Almost all Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe locations are in North Rhine-Westphalia. Employees of the steel manufacturer HKM in Duisburg, in which the Thyssenkrupp steel division has a 50 percent stake, are also invited to take part. HKM employs around 3,000 people.
Originally, the works council and IG Metall had planned a staff meeting in a stadium. This should be about the significant reduction in steel production capacity at the Duisburg site recently announced by steel management, which will also lead to job cuts.
On Friday, Thyssenkrupp announced that the steel division would get an energy company as a 20 percent co-owner: the EPCG holding owned by the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. Employee representatives criticize that they only found out about it shortly before publication. “López ignores participation,” wrote IG Metall in a leaflet – and changed the plans for Tuesday: Instead of the non-public information event, a public protest rally is now planned.
Source: Stern
