Meyer shipyard in Papenburg: 60 dismissals averted - signs of hope!

Meyer shipyard in Papenburg: 60 dismissals averted - signs of hope!

At the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, there is reason to relieve: 60 announced operating dismissals may seem to be averted, as the works council director Andreas Hensen reported at a works meeting. The management has an agreement on the maintenance of the jobs, but still has to be signed. The shipyard's renovation program originally provided for 60 employees to go. The key points for the renovation were already negotiated between IG Metall, the works council and the management in July 2024. The good news ensures applause in the meeting, where numerous employees were still present today.

The IG Metall union also sees no need for further job cancellations. Daniel Friedrich, head of the IG Metall district of coast, explained that this was no longer necessary due to the existing orders. So far, around 200 employees have already left the company as part of the renovation program, which provides for a total of 340 job cuts. The financing agreement between the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony, which includes guarantees for loans of 2.6 billion euros, is also a bright spot in the tense situation of the company. The Meyer shipyard, a family company that has existed for almost 230 years, has had to experience considerable financial pressure through the Corona crisis.

The current situation and outlook

In the works meeting, the continued short-time work for a few hundred employees in machine and hotel construction was also talked about, since no cruise ship will be delivered in the coming year. This is particularly important as the company is still recovering from a significant loss in the Three-Digit Million Range, which Marks Their biggest existential crisis. Managing Director Ralf Schmitz also pointed out the theft and property damage problems on the shipyard area during the meeting, which led to differences between the works council and the shipyard management, especially with regard to possible camera wax.

Minister of Economics Olaf Lies has described the recent day as positive for the Papenburg shipyard. This was rewarded by the assembly participants with applause. CEO Bernd Eikens was optimistic about the future of the company. The Japanese cruise ship "Asuka III" is currently in front of the shipyard and is soon to be transferred via the Ems towards the North Sea. These developments give hope that the situation on the shipyard could stabilize.

The mood on the Meyer shipyard has stuck to falter through the combination of renovation measures and the prospect of new orders, but there is hope for a positive turn. While the works council wants to approved overtime for the converter platforms, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop as a whole. The new supervisory board under the direction of Lower Saxony's Minister of Economics will meet on Friday to decide on the further procedure.

For many employees of the Meyer shipyard, it is a constant up and down, but the feeling that you can realize yourself on a solid base is noticeable. Every day brings new challenges and the employees hope that the positive developments will last. In the current situation, this message could be a small ray of hope in the shadow of the financial difficulties of the shipyard.

For more information on this topic, you can do the articles from ndr.de as well as dieniedersachsen.de and Read.