PRESS STATEMENT ArcelorMittal: IG Metall strongly condemns the reversal

Jürgen Kerner, Second Chairman of IG Metall and a member of the union’s executive board responsible, among other things, for the steel industry:
“This decision is strategically short-sighted, a poor business decision, and highly irresponsible in terms of both the impact on employees and the consequences for society as a whole. The climate-neutral transformation of the steel industry is a once-in-a-century project and requires a massive effort from all involved. The workers have committed to this path; policymakers are providing billions in subsidies and are finally moving in the right direction when it comes to electricity prices as well. The only ones losing their nerve and wavering are the managers at ArcelorMittal. Now is the time for strong leadership, strategic foresight, and taking responsibility. Instead, we’re seeing petty maneuvering. This won’t do! We will fight this with every means at our disposal. The future of thousands of jobs in Bremen, Eisenhüttenstadt, and Duisburg is at stake.

The about-face that ArcelorMittal is making here must prompt political action. This is not just about some arbitrary management decision by some random company. The question of whether we can keep the basic materials industry in Germany will determine whether Germany remains a prosperous, socially balanced industrial nation in the long term. We cannot leave this question in the hands of unpredictable managers. The federal government must immediately convene a crisis summit for the steel industry and make this strategic issue a top priority. It is unacceptable that France is creating a fait accompli through politically subsidized industrial electricity, while Germany laboriously searches for solutions that comply with European regulations. Steel must also become a top priority here.”

Further information and press photos of Jürgen Kerner