IG Metall demands more support for the solar industry from the German government

Following the announcement by solar manufacturer Meyer Burger that it is preparing to close a large plant in Saxony, IG Metall has called for more support from the German government. "The federal government must urgently agree on the long overdue Solar Package I," said the deputy head of IG Metall, Jürgen Kerner, on Monday. In view of the strategic importance of the solar industry for the energy supply, the package must include resilience bonuses or similar funding opportunities for key solar components from domestic production.

"This subsidy is not about isolation, but about resilience against the threat of geopolitical or other global upheavals in the sensitive field of energy supply," said Kerner. It must be clear that only companies with collective bargaining agreements and employee co-determination should be entitled to subsidies.

Meyer Burger had announced that it was preparing to close its plant in Freiberg. The company accuses Chinese companies of offering modules at dumping prices and is preparing production in the USA.