Job cuts at Wacker: growing unrest at the Nünchritz plant

In the discussion about the planned job cuts at the Munich-based chemical company Wacker AG, the situation of employees at the plant in Nünchritz (Meißen district) in Saxony remains unclear. The employees are worried and are waiting for more detailed information, said works council chairman Göran Gust to the German Press Agency in Dresden. "Every week of waiting for more information creates more rumors and more uncertainty." Accordingly, all works councils in the Group are pushing for assurances that compulsory redundancies are off the table. The Group Economic Committee is currently discussing the planned measures.

Spokesperson: Nünchritz is considered an efficient, modern location

A spokesperson for the company referred to ongoing discussions with employee representatives when asked. When more precise information could be provided would depend on the progress of the talks. Wacker AG had already announced last year that it intended to save 300 million euros annually and, among other things, cut 1,500 jobs - the majority of which would be at German sites. The first measures are to be implemented in the first quarter of this year. At the end of January, the MDax-listed company announced a loss of around 800 million euros according to preliminary figures.

Wacker AG claims to employ more than 1,500 people in Nünchritz, making it the largest chemical employer in Saxony. There is also a biotechnology site in Halle in Saxony-Anhalt with 250 employees. According to the company spokesperson, the Nünchritz plant is regarded as an efficient, modern site and also as an important training location with over 80 trainees every year. It plays a central role in the production of silicones and high-purity polysilicon. The company supplies the automotive, semiconductor and construction industries, among others.