Meyer Werft in Papenburg: 60 layoffs averted - sign of hope!

Meyer Werft in Papenburg: 60 layoffs averted - sign of hope!

There is reason for relief at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg: 60 announced redundancies for operational reasons appear to have possibly been averted, as works council head Andreas Hensen reported at a works meeting. An agreement to preserve jobs has been submitted to management, but still needs to be signed. The shipyard's restructuring program originally called for 60 employees to go. The key points for the restructuring were already negotiated between IG Metall, the works council and the management in July 2024. The good news caused applause in the meeting, where numerous employees were also present today.

The IG Metall union also sees no need for further job cuts. Daniel Friedrich, head of the IG Metall Coast district, 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 restructuring program, which includes a total of 340 job cuts. The financing agreement between the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony, which includes guarantees for loans worth 2.6 billion euros, is also a ray of hope in the company's tense situation. Meyer Werft, a family business that has existed for almost 230 years, has experienced considerable financial pressure as a result of the Corona crisis.

The current situation and outlook

At the works meeting, the ongoing short-time work for several hundred employees in mechanical engineering and hotel construction was also discussed, as no cruise ship will be delivered next 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. During the meeting, managing director Ralf Schmitz also pointed out the problems with theft and damage to property on the shipyard premises, which has led to differences between the works council and the shipyard management, especially with regard to possible camera guards.

Economics Minister Olaf Lies described the recent day as positive for the Papenburg shipyard. This was rewarded with applause from the meeting participants. CEO Bernd Eikens expressed optimism about the company's future. The Japanese cruise ship “Asuka III” is currently in front of the shipyard and will soon be transferred across the Ems towards the North Sea. These developments give hope that the situation at the shipyard could stabilize.

The mood at Meyer Werft has been shaken by the combination of restructuring measures and the prospect of new orders, but hope for a positive turnaround remains. While the works council wants to approve additional work during peak orders for the converter platforms, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop overall. The new supervisory board will meet on Friday under the leadership of Lower Saxony's economics minister to decide on how to proceed.

For many employees at Meyer Werft it is a constant ups and downs, but the feeling that you can realign yourself on a solid basis is noticeable. Every day brings new challenges, and employees hope that the positive developments continue. In the current situation, this news could be a small ray of hope in the shadow of the shipyard's financial difficulties.

For more information on this topic you can read the articles from ndr.de as well as dieniedersachsen.de and noz.de read.