Chemnitz – East Germany is becoming more and more attractive as an industrial location for well-known companies from important future-oriented sectors – but this development is not a sure-fire success. In view of the emerging economic upheavals, a targeted industrial policy is needed in the East in particular, which keeps both in mind: the establishment of new future technologies on the one hand and the preservation and transformation of existing industries on the other. At its industrial policy conference for East Germany in Chemnitz, IG Metall called for a clear course of industrial policy growth and targeted investments for the future of Germany from the federal government.
Wolfgang Lemb, executive board member of IG Metall and in this function responsible for industrial policy and regional structural policy, among other things: “Examples such as Tesla, Intel, CATL or the billions invested by German automotive companies show that East Germany has a future as an industrial location. After years of painful structural change, modern, high-quality industrial jobs are now being created here. At the same time, thousands of jobs are in acute danger: If we don’t quickly get a competitive price for electricity for energy-intensive industry, the steel and forging industry, but also the chemical industry, will collapse. That would be a heavy blow for the raw materials industry in East Germany. That must not happen. It must be clear that support from taxpayers’ money is not available free of charge, but only against collective bargaining agreement, co-determination, location commitments and investments in the green transformation. In this way, free-rider effects can be avoided.”
Carsten Schneider, Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor and Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, said at the conference in Chemnitz: “Eastern Germany is a competitive innovation region. This is shown by well-known international investors from important future-oriented sectors such as microelectronics, e-mobility, battery and solar technology. Important location advantages for this are the availability of renewable energies, a good transport infrastructure, a very well trained workforce, outstanding internationally recognized research facilities and large commercial areas. But at the same time companies must also actively seek skilled workers. Attractive working conditions and fair pay help here – collective bargaining agreements and co-determination form the best basis for this.”
As part of the industrial policy conference for East Germany, around 70 works council members and trade unionists discussed the future of industry in East Germany with representatives from politics and science at the invitation of IG Metall. In particular, they looked at the opportunities and perspectives of co-determination in the companies.
The works council prize “Gemeinsam. Committed. Brave. – For a good future! The work of the works council members of GKN Driveline Germany, Mosel plant, was recognized. For a long time they had resisted the plans to close their plant in Mosel and finally, together with the workforce, won a collective wage agreement with above-average severance payments. In addition, the management has committed itself to finding investors for the plant.