Steel crisis: protests and job losses threaten Duisburg's Thyssenkrupp!

Steel crisis: protests and job losses threaten Duisburg's Thyssenkrupp!

Where is the steel industry headed? Many employees in the industry are currently asking themselves this question, especially at Thyssenkrupp. On October 13, 2025, colleagues from the WSWS reported that IG Metall was planning a protest in Duisburg on June 14 to demand state subsidies for the company. The background is explosive: the collective wage agreement passed for over 60,000 employees in the metal and steel industry in northern and western Germany has caused great dissatisfaction, as there is a real wage reduction of only 1.4% over 15 months.

Thyssenkrupp is under pressure after the company announced it would cut almost 11,000 of its 27,000 jobs. Other steel companies such as Salzgitter and Arcelor are also not very forthcoming and are relying on austerity measures. IG Metall emphasizes that immediate measures are required to defend jobs and wages, but the legal framework makes strikes outside of collective bargaining difficult in Germany.

Challenges and restructuring

With the new restructuring agreement, as Mesteel reports, Thyssenkrupp is aiming for long-term competitiveness. The plan is to reduce annual steel production capacity to 8.7 to 9 million tons. The decommissioning of several blast furnaces, including blast furnace 9 at the beginning of the next fiscal year and blast furnace 8, is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. In addition, Hot Strip Mill 3 in Bochum will be closed at the beginning of 2026, which will cost an additional 1,600 jobs by the end of 2028.

The restructuring agreement also includes personal savings. There are plans to cancel special payments as well as cuts in vacation and Christmas bonuses. Furthermore, the working hours for employees bound by collective agreements will be reduced to 32.5 hours per week, while employees not bound by collective agreements must work 39 hours. Up to 4,000 jobs could be outsourced through make-or-buy strategies by 2029.

The situation in the steel industry

The entire industry is looking forward to the future with excitement. As Statista states, the German steel industry has found itself in recession, with Germany being one of the largest producers in the world. With a production volume of around 37 million tons and sales of around 45 billion euros, the steel industry accounts for almost 37 percent of the entire metal industry in Germany. But the last few years have shown that production figures fluctuate, which also directly affects sales.

The industry sees the shift to more sustainable production methods such as “Green Steel” as urgent in order to meet both national and international standards. A significant step will be the construction of a new direct reduction plant in Duisburg to replace the existing blast furnaces, as well as the modernization of electrical steel production. Thyssenkrupp is receiving an impressive 2 billion euros in government support for this, while Salzgitter and Arcelor Mittal have also applied for similar support.

Time is of the essence and employees are called upon to take action. IG Metall is calling for independent action committees to be founded to represent the interests of workers and to pool voices within the workforce. A good hand is required to master the challenges of the future together - this not only affects the companies, but above all the people who work in this crucial industry.