industry
Pessimism in industry – trade union: dramatic situation
The industry has come under pressure. How members of the IGBCE union see the situation – and what they are demanding from politicians.
Employees in industry are entering the new year pessimistically – the IGBCE union sees a “dramatic” situation. The union chairman Michael Vassiliadis told the German Press Agency: “Investments are flowing out, there is a cost squeeze and capacity reductions. We are paying for this with massive losses of jobs and prosperity. An investment and modernization offensive is needed so that we can switch back to growth. ”
A survey of around 4,500 members of the Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial Union showed that many employees are very worried about the future. When asked how Germany would fare as an industrial location in five years compared to the rest of the world, almost 80 percent answered that the location would be in a better or significantly worse position. Around 58 percent estimate their personal economic situation in five years to be somewhat or significantly worse compared to today. 68 percent do not believe that it will be possible to transform the industrial location in a climate-friendly manner and modernize it at the same time in the next five years.
Union boss: Crisis has spread
“The results are alarming evidence that the crisis in industry has already broadly affected the working middle class,” said Vassiliadis. “The parties should see this as a wake-up call in the election campaign: industry belongs at number one on the political agenda – not only to maintain good work, but also our social prosperity as a whole. We will demand this emphatically in the next few months.”
Regarding the state of the industry, he said: “If we continue like this, we will lose the basis of the energy-intensive industry. We have to be ready to fight for it.” It is elementary for the entire production site. He described the climate-friendly modernization of industry as a “challenge of the century”. “They are not financed from the current budget. The companies are not. And neither is the state.” This requires a non-partisan alliance to reform the debt brake.
In addition, the social question must be clarified: “What will the burden be distributed over the next few years so that we don’t lose social cohesion?” If a new coalition doesn’t get this under control quickly, not only would more jobs be at stake, but there would be conflicts. “If in doubt, we will have to increase the pressure significantly.”
dpa
Source: Stern
