German Steelworkers Protest Reforms

Nearly 45,000 German steelworkers protested European Union measures which would consolidate the German steel industry in favor of importing cheap Chinese steel on April 11, EU Observer reported.  According to Deutsche Welle, the protesters gathered mainly in the western states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Saarland as well as the capital, Berlin. The steelworkers, many of whom belong to Germany’s engineering union IG Metall, also called for policies to safeguard their jobs and provide representation in relevant policy-making in Brussels.

Some members of the German government responded favorably to the protests. Alluding to Chinese steel dumping, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel remarked, “"We have nothing against China getting market economy status but only if it behaves like a market economy." Protesters reiterated that German steel produced by German workers remains preferable to that from China, which since 2010 has doubled its steel exports to the European Union, Die Zeit reported.

The motto under which the German steelworkers protested — “Steel is the Future” — revealed an overwhelming sentiment within the industry, which, according to Deutsche Welle, is 87,000 strong.  Protesters emphasized, despite recent policies encouraging clean energy and sustainable development in European Union member states, that steel remains an essential component of German industry.  

Hans Jürgen Kerkhoff, president of the German Steel Federation, directly criticized regulation from Brussels in an interview granted prior to the protests.  He emphasized that proposed policies to de-carbonize the steel industry would be  "a threat to its existence."

Protests supporting an arguably high emissions and environmentally unsustainable steel industry in Germany stand in sharp contrast to the country’s recent narrative, which has emphasized a transition to clean energy and industry.  For now, the steelworkers await further word from Brussels as to whether or not Chinese steel dumping and EU environmental regulation will continue.

Note: An abbreviated version of the article appears in print.

Brandon Greenblatt is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs with a concentration in Energy and Environment. He is interested in issues of security, environmental and energy policy, and migration as they pertain to Western Europe and the European Union. When not working for The Caravel, he’s probably eating his way through a gallon of Goldfish.