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“In view of the difficult situation in the steel market, particularly with regard to sales of auto sheet, savings at the ThyssenKrupp site in Neuwied are unavoidable,” the Essen-based producer said.
Production at the Neuwied plant, which is part of tinplate subsidiary ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein, will be closed down step-by-step, beginning with the closure of one of the galvanizing lines (EBA 6) by September 30 this year.
The other galvanizing line, FBA 11, has already been discontinued.
Neuwied’s cold rolling mill is planned for closure on December 31, while the pickling unit will continue operatinos until September 2015.
The pickling unit is also used in the production cycle of a second ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein plant in Andersach, which produces tinplate.
When the unit is closed down at Neuwied, pickling capacity at Andersach will be increased.
ThyssenKrupp has confirmed that “no compulsory redundancies” will be made and notes that “as many as possible” of the 320 employees at Neuwied are to be moved to Andersach.
The company’s management has agreed with workers’ representatives at the Neuwied and Andersach plants on the implementation of the restructuring.
In total, the number of jobs at both ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein plants will be reduced by about 420 in the next few years through restructuring measures.
Tinplate production in Andersach will continue to be a core business for ThyssenKrupp’s steel division, the company said.
But ThyssenKrupp and the workers’ representatives have not yet agreed on the management’s proposed reduction of working hours from 2015, the company added.