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Ceratizit closes plants – protests and lack of solutions shake Baden-Württemberg!
Ceratizit is closing factories in Empfingen and Besigheim by 2026, putting 230 jobs at risk. Negotiations failed.
Ceratizit closes plants – protests and lack of solutions shake Baden-Württemberg!
Significant change is underway in Baden-Württemberg's industry. Ceratizit, a leading manufacturer of hard metal, has announced the closure of two German plants by the end of 2026. After negotiations for a social plan failed, the affected employees are visibly disappointed and angry. These strokes of fate affect the locations in Besigheim and Empfingen and could endanger the livelihoods of over 230 families. According to Merkur, the realignment of the international production network is behind this tragic decision.
On July 17th it was announced that the talks to preserve the factory in Empfingen had not been successful. IG Metall Freudenstadt said in a press release that the site will be closed on June 30, 2026. This decision not only entails the loss of jobs, but also the end of decades of industrial history that many of its employees want to defend with all their might.
Tense negotiations and protests
The circumstances surrounding the closure have left the workforce in turmoil. IG Metall describes Ceratizit's offer as inadequate and criticizes the behavior of the company's management as a lack of appreciation for its long-standing employees. The employees also continue to protest in front of the factory gate and demand a sustainable social plan to secure the future of their families. As Schwarzwälder Bote reports, IG Metall has already announced To maintain pressure and continue protest actions.
Attempts are now being made to find a solution in a formal legal conciliation board. This consists of a neutral chairman and an equal number of assessors from both sides. The goal: to reach a binding agreement in order to take the concerns of the employees seriously.
Economic framework conditions
The Ceratizit closures are part of a larger trend in the German economy, where more and more manufacturing jobs are disappearing. Current figures show that only around 25% of the workforce is employed in this sector, while the service sector is clearly on the rise at over 75%, as the Federal Agency for Civic Education explains. These long-term structural changes in the economy are partly the result of new production processes, automation and changing demand.
The affected employees in Empfingen and Besigheim are aware of these challenges, but the emotional and financial burden of the impending closure is still enormous. While the workforce fights for their jobs, it remains to be hoped that a viable solution will be found that can give the affected families some security back.