Corona Crisis: Due To 40% Reduction In Work Output, 1800 Jobs Would Be Stake In Meyer Werft

The new negotiations between the works council, the trade union, and the management of MEYER WERFT to solve the Corona crisis were interrupted after around a day by the trade union and the works council.

It was not until the end of November that the shipyard’s management as well as the union and works council, moderated by the state of Lower Saxony, agreed on an initial solution package that should now be negotiated in detail. We are firmly convinced that we will achieve a result by the end of March so that we all have clarity for the future.

Around 4,500 employees currently work at the Papenburg site. Due to the 40% reduction in work output over the next few years due to the Corona crisis, 1,800 jobs would be at stake on a linear basis. The management is confident that a large part of these jobs can be saved if intelligent concepts can be agreed upon with the works council.

IG Metall and the works council broke off the talks with the note that various future scenarios of the shipyard would contain certain figures for staff cuts. The management tries to work out intelligent solutions and savings together in order to have as few layoffs as possible. Because with every employee who has to leave us, we lose important know-how.

“We have a good chance of securing the location as a whole if we act quickly and correctly and together,” says Thomas Weigend, CEO of MEYER WERFT.

It was not until the end of November that an employment guarantee was decided until June 30, 2021. This was coupled with the waiver of special payments and the resumption of negotiations on a future collective agreement 2021-25 with the aim of concluding this by March 31, 2021. Negotiations should be completed by January 31, 2021 to clarify the relationship between the core workforce and suppliers. For this purpose, a neutral investigation into the use of work contracts was agreed.

Reference: meyerwerft.de