Berlin – IG Metall is calling on the federal government to focus more closely on the energy and heating sectors and to provide targeted support for them. Given their strategic importance for achieving climate goals and ensuring a secure energy supply, the priority now is to strengthen local expertise, stabilize and rebuild value chains, and link employment to good working conditions.
“With their expertise, our energy and heating sectors are indispensable to the success of the energy and heating transition,” emphasizes Wolfgang Lemb, executive board member of IG Metall, at a conference with works council members. “As suppliers of systems, products, and components, you play a key role in the transformation of energy and heating supply. At the same time, however, these sectors are under immense pressure. That is why policymakers must act more quickly and decisively.”
The surprising news of the sale of heat pump manufacturer Viessmann was the subject of intense discussion among conference participants. Wolfgang Lemb commented: “Economics Minister Robert Habeck announced today that he will scrutinize the takeover closely. I welcome that.” Manufacturers like Viessmann are part of a key industry when it comes to the transformation of the energy supply. “IG Metall expects location guarantees and job security at the Allendorf site for this strategically important production. We at IG Metall will do everything in our power to ensure this.”
The photovoltaic and wind industries are caught in a ruinous race to the bottom. Conventional power plant and heating technology—which is still needed for the transition—must contend with major planning uncertainties. Former technology leaders in energy and heat generation are leaving Germany and Europe. The development and production of key components are being relocated. Critical supply chains are at risk. Over 60,000 jobs in companies across the relevant sectors have been cut in recent years.
In light of this complex situation, works councils from companies in the affected sectors have adopted a joint statement. In it, they call on the federal government to take concrete steps to ensure a successful energy and heating transition in this country.
This would involve sustainably promoting and securing investments. This could be achieved through revised depreciation rules for investments relevant to the transition, power purchase agreements (PPAs), procurement quotas, or transition fund models. One of the demands outlined in the paper is that the risk mitigation system for key energy and heating projects must be further developed.
Accordingly, public tenders, subsidies, and contract awards must be linked to industrial value creation in Germany as well as to the preservation of locations and jobs. This should be done using binding qualitative criteria such as employment, training, employee participation, and collective bargaining agreements. The carbon footprint must also be taken into account in the future.
The joint statement was adopted at the IG Metall sector conference on energy and heating technologies in Berlin. There, works council members from companies in the conventional energy plant and power plant construction sectors, as well as the heating, photovoltaic, solar, and wind industries, discussed the current challenges facing their sectors from an employee perspective together with representatives from academia and politics.
Joint Statement: “A Successful Energy and Heating Transition for Value Creation, Employment, and Decent Work!”
