The power struggle that has been simmering for weeks between the CEO of Thyssenkrupp AG, Miguel López, and the heads of the group’s steel division, which is in need of restructuring, has personnel consequences – many of them. Three of the five board members of Thyssenkrupp Steel are leaving “by mutual agreement”. This was confirmed by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Steel Division (TKSE), Sigmar Gabriel, on Thursday during a press conference following a meeting of the committee in Duisburg. These are the TKSE board chairman Bernhard Osburg, the human resources director Markus Grolms and Heike Denecke-Arnold, who was previously responsible for the logistics department. That’s not enough. Four TKSE supervisory board members, including Gabriel himself, also announced that they would resign from their positions “in due time”. In addition, the deputy chairman of the TKSE supervisory board, Detlef Wetzel, and the supervisory board members Elke Eller and Wilhelm Schäffer will resign their mandates, as Gabriel further said. He spoke of the fact that the “business basis for the business was no longer applicable” for all four. In particular, there are differences with the CEO of Thyssenkrupp AG, Miguel López, about the “common path”. A trusting collaboration with him and the group’s supervisory board chairman Siegfried Russwurm is no longer possible. Gabriel’s statement to journalists also said: The “unprecedented campaign” that López in particular has “publicly launched” against the TKSE board in recent weeks “and operated” not only damages the steel board’s ability to act, “but against the background of the agreements made at the supervisory board meeting on August 9th, it is also a serious breach of trust.” Gabriel is apparently referring to the supervisory board’s communication at the beginning of the month, independent experts to analyze the financial needs of TKSE and, on the basis of this report, to try to reach an agreement on the restructuring and dowry of the group to the division in the course of its independence. But shortly after this compromise, the group’s board of directors publicly criticized the steel board and asked it to “finally present a viable business plan.” The goal is a joint venture. This was preceded by a long dispute over the restructuring of the steel division, which López would like to separate from the group and make it independent . The Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský’s EPCG holding has already taken over 20 percent of the shares in the steel division, and in the future he is to buy a further 30 percent with the aim of a 50:50 joint venture. Gabriel once again made it very clear in his farewell words to the workforce : “I wish the employees that you get bosses as good as the ones you are losing now, and better owners than you currently have.” It was apparently Miguel López’s goal to get the steel board to give up, even though he “He represented the interests of the steel company with commitment and successfully defended himself against, from his point of view, unacceptable influences on his work.” When asked whether López should be fired, the former Vice Chancellor replied: “How is Siegfried Russwurm supposed to throw out the person he brought in himself?” Late in the evening, the chairman of the parent company’s supervisory board, Siegfried Russwurm, sent out a statement about the resignations of the board members. “For weeks and months, unresolved questions in the Thyssenkrupp Stahl division that have been pent up over many years have been the focus of internal and external attention, tying up management capacity and putting a strain on the entire company,” it says. Despite “all commendable efforts,” it is the management of Thyssenkrupp Steel failed to “successfully provide answers to the structural challenges of the steel business and its economic difficulties”. The statement also contains thanks for the commitment of the board members, but makes it clear that they are resigning against the background of the unresolved problems. “Today we have lost.” Employee representatives reacted with dismay to the resignations: “The replacement of the three experienced steel board members throws us miles away back,” said Jürgen Kerner, the second chairman of IG Metall and deputy chairman of the supervisory board of Thyssenkrupp AG. “These personnel decisions distract from the standstill on the actual problems.” This is damaging to the company. “A good year after Mr. López took office as CEO, we are faced with a pile of broken pieces.” The chairman of the general works council of the Thyssenkrupp steel division, Tekin Nasikkol, said to the employees that the steel workers had already fought many battles. “We have won most of the battles, today we lost.” Protests by employee representatives and IG Metall had already taken place at Thyssenkrupp’s steel site in Duisburg in the run-up to the meeting. The local police estimated that around 1,000 people had gathered on the street in front of the factory on Thursday. They had rolled out a gigantic banner across the entire width of the lawn in front of the headquarters. “Future instead of termination,” it read. Other banners showed López’s face, crossed out in red. Above it was the line “LópezNotMyCEO.” Flames blazed from burning barrels to the right and left of the office entrance, clouds of smoke hung over the entire area. More on the topic There had also been protests before Thursday. So loudly that even the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia got involved and called for a postponement of the supervisory board meeting at short notice, “in order to open up the possibility for further discussions,” as a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Economics put it. Gabriel said he understood politicians’ desire to “look for ways to de-escalate the conflict.” However, the affected board members “lost all trust in the will and ability of the CEO of Thyssenkrupp AG to cooperate appropriately.”
Go to Source