In view of the crisis in the East German chemical industry, employers' associations and trade unions are planning a "Chemical Summit East Germany" next week. Five demands are to be presented to the federal government in Böhlen near Leipzig in order to preserve the chemical sites and secure jobs in the industry.
The situation is dramatic and structural improvements are needed, explained Nora Schmidt-Kesseler, Managing Director of the Nordostchemie associations. These include competitive energy prices and faster approval procedures.
According to the trade unions, the Ministers of Economic Affairs of Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt are expected to attend the meeting on December 15. The demands to the federal government are to be presented to Elisabeth Kaiser, Commissioner for Eastern Germany.
According to the IG BCE trade union, around 63,000 people work in the chemical-pharmaceutical industry in eastern Germany. However, only 70 percent of capacity is being utilized. Among other things, the US company Dow Chemical announced a few months ago that some of its plants in Schkopau (Saxony-Anhalt) and Böhlen (Saxony) are to be closed at the end of 2027.
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