The steel industry in Europe, particularly in Germany, is teetering on the brink of a significant transformation, marred by protests, uncertainty, and a brewing labor conflict. On a fateful Thursday, the gates of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe in Duisburg became the epicenter of worker unrest, as steelworkers, armed with industrial machinery and benches, blockaded entry points, causing traffic snarls that rippled across the city. This protest was not an isolated event but part of a broader outcry against the potential entry of billionaire Daniel Kretinsky into thyssenkrupp Steel, a move that has sparked fear and resistance among the workforce.
The involvement of IG Metall, one of Germany’s most powerful trade unions, highlights the gravity of the situation. Their dramatic appeal earlier in the week warned of the possible decimation of 10,000 jobs at thyssenkrupp, framing CEO Miguel López’s strategy as a radical and destructive force aimed at halving steel production. The reduction from 11 million metric tons to a mere 5 million metric tons would necessitate the closure of multiple sites, plunging thousands of workers into uncertainty and despair.
Interestingly, the protest did not target all executives equally. While López was castigated as an outsider endangering Germany’s steel industry, Bernhard Osburg, CEO of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, was lauded by the works council as a champion of the steel sector, despite his own role in orchestrating job cuts. This dichotomy underscores a deeper rift within the company’s leadership and its workers, with Osburg seen as a necessary evil in contrast to the allegedly clueless López.
However, beneath the surface, the protests orchestrated by IG Metall and the works council appear less about preserving jobs and more about maintaining the status quo of union power and influence. These bodies, deeply embedded in the company’s governance structure, have often played dual roles, publicly opposing job cuts while privately negotiating the terms of those very reductions. Their positions on supervisory boards and economic committees give them insight into and sometimes complicity in the decisions that imperil workers’ livelihoods.
The steelworkers, meanwhile, find themselves caught in a precarious position. While they are eager to resist the job cuts that threaten their future, the traditional avenues of protest seem compromised by the very institutions meant to protect them. This has led to calls for the formation of independent rank-and-file action committees, which would prioritize the interests of workers over the profit motives of corporations and investors.
The urgency of establishing a new resistance organization at thyssenkrupp cannot be overstated, especially as global economic pressures intensify. The steel industry in Germany, once a bedrock of industrial strength, now faces formidable challenges from international trade wars,
