Riesa (dpa/sn) – IG Metall wants to use a day of action to secure the future of the steel industry and other energy-intensive sectors in Saxony and Brandenburg. As the trade union announced on Thursday, employees of the six electric steelworks in Saxony and Brandenburg are to gather for a rally in Riesa for the nationwide day of action “Industrial Electricity Price” on March 7th. According to the union, the day of action will take place in more than ten cities across Germany.
“Steel production in Germany needs an affordable industrial electricity price to survive,” said IG Metall district manager Irene Schulz. High electricity costs jeopardize jobs and the transformation to climate-neutral production. IG Metall wants to introduce an industrial electricity price before the end of this year. Politicians must enable energy-intensive industries to have a competitive power supply. “The electricity for our steel mills must be both green and affordable,” said Schulz.
The German economy has long complained about high energy costs compared to other countries. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to present proposals for a state-subsidized industrial electricity price in the first half of 2023.
