Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – According to an association survey, every third company in the Hessian metal and electrical industry fears for its existence. An important reason is the extreme increase in prices for energy and primary products, as reported by the Hessenmetall Association on Thursday. In the coming week, on Thursday (October 27), the next round of collective bargaining with IG Metall is due, which demands eight percent more money for employees.
Almost every company (96 percent) is affected by the energy crisis, around three quarters cannot pass on the additional costs at all or not sufficiently, explained the negotiator at M E Mitte, Oliver Barta, according to a statement. This applies in particular to automotive suppliers. At the same time, more than half of the companies are affected by cancellations and order postponements.
“We are facing a recession and energy costs will be well above the pre-crisis level for the next few years,” said Barta. If it is not possible to compensate for the additional costs, there is a risk of de-industrialization due to the relocation of production abroad. There is a great deal of uncertainty among the member companies.
