Press Release No. 21/2011 IG Metall Calls for an End to Nuclear Energy

Brunsbüttel/Krümmel – On the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, IG Metall called for a phase-out of nuclear power. “We need a phase-out law and a law to drastically shorten the operating lifespans of nuclear plants. We must move away from this technology as quickly as possible,” said IG Metall’s Second Chairman, Detlef Wetzel, at the anti-nuclear demonstration on Easter Monday in Brunsbüttel. Following the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, it has become abundantly clear that nuclear power cannot be controlled. “The federal government has made itself a mere tool of the nuclear corporations and extended the operating lifespans of the plants. Now they’re stalling for time, even though the alternatives to nuclear energy are obvious. Consumers and energy-intensive industries are being pressured with the threat of drastic increases in energy costs—that is unacceptable,” Wetzel criticized. Renewable energies must be developed as the leading technology and supplemented with conventional power plant technology. “We need a policy that focuses on technological innovation and provides planning security for workers and industry.”

Helga Schwitzer, executive board member of IG Metall, called on the federal government to implement an energy transition during the demonstration in front of the nuclear power plant in Krümmel. “Anyone who can mobilize hundreds of billions to bail out banks must also be able to raise the funds to save our planet. We need a massive increase in energy efficiency and the expansion of renewable technologies.” The decommissioning of existing nuclear power plants must not be carried out at the expense of the affected workers. The expertise of these highly qualified workers is needed for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plants and for the disposal of nuclear waste. “We will advocate for alternative jobs and socially responsible solutions to secure employment and collective bargaining agreements.” It is also necessary to ensure good working conditions and fair pay in the renewable energy sector. “Environmentally great but socially terrible must not be the guiding principle of an industry of the future,” said Schwitzer.

IG Metall, BUND, Robin Wood, and the German Renewable Energy Federation have jointly called on employees and companies in the renewable energy sector to support the anti-nuclear movement.