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IG Metall threatens Thyssenkrupp over planned sale of steel system

Germany's most effective union has actually threatened to withhold assistance for a partial sale of Thyssenkrupp's steel unit unless the group offers warranties for investments, websites and jobs, a leading labour representative told weekly Welt am Sonntag.

Those are red lines for us, stated Knut Giesler, who leads IG Metall's branch in North Rhine-Westphalia, where Thyssenkrupp is based.

If there were no guarantees in composing by a supervisory board conference scheduled for May 23, Giesler could not imagine that labour leaders, which hold half of the committee's seats, would enact favour of a scheduled sale of 20% of Thyssenkrupp's. steel system to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, he said.

In case of a stalemate labour agents can still be. outvoted by Supervisory Board Chairman Siegfried Russwurm, whose. vote counts double in such a case, but Giesler alerted that this. could worsen a currently tense relationship with management.

Mr Russwurm and the supervisory board ought to think. carefully about whether they actually wish to bypass the. greatest co-determined location in the company with a double vote,. Giesler said.

If they want to handle us in this method, we will ensure. there is a fitting response from the labor force, he stated. The. Group needs to decide whether it wants months of unrest in the. workforce and at the sites.

Labour representatives have actually roughly criticised the design of. Thyssenkrupp CEO Miguel Lopez, accusing him of not involving. workers in negotiations and stopping working to honour enduring. traditions that provide much influence to unions at the group.

(source: Reuters)