Future in danger: MAN refuses to secure Salzgitter beyond 2030!

Future in danger: MAN refuses to secure Salzgitter beyond 2030!

There's a lot of boiling going on in Salzgitter. While MAN's employees are eagerly waiting for the necessary commitments, there could be impending changes at the production site. The company's board of directors has currently not made any commitment to the location beyond 2030. However, the IG Metall union is demanding exactly this location guarantee before it agrees to a planned key points paper. Markus Hulm, the second representative of IG Metall Salzgitter-Peine, makes it unmistakably clear: “The future is not a question, but an obligation” and warns of the need for a reliable commitment. A conclusion without this assurance will be rejected as a “contract about uncertainty,” reports IG Metall.

At the Salzgitter site, we are currently working intensively on a viable perspective. In recent months, a variety of options for production, spare parts logistics and component production have been examined. But the plans presented by MAN, a so-called “target image”, are considered inadequate and could result in massive job losses. The scenario shows that there is a risk of relocation of important production areas such as axle assembly, pipe production and mechanical processing. In addition, crankshaft production is about to end and is scheduled to be phased out gradually by 2032 at the latest. The works council chairman Hüseyin Uc warns urgently against a gradual decline in the industrial substance of the site.

Negotiations and uncertainties

The uncertainty about the future of the 600 jobs in Salzgitter remains great. Even though MAN has reached an agreement with employees about job cuts, there is still no real perspective for the employees. Therefore, IG Metall Lower Saxony is pushing for further negotiations because they see the current plans as “gutting the site”.

The union is demanding a clear commitment about the future of the location beyond 2030. According to Hüseyin Uc, the situation is serious - an agreement without a location guarantee would not be acceptable. Another meeting in which negotiations about the prospects are to be continued is scheduled for January 29, 2026 in Salzgitter. These negotiations are intended to act as a serious start to binding agreements, not another non-binding meeting.

Investments and future challenges

Despite the tense situation, MAN has announced that it will invest almost one billion euros in German locations by the end of 2030, although the majority of these investments will flow to Bavaria. IG Metall recalls the fact that, although general job security until the end of 2035 and the preservation of all German production sites are recorded in the agreements, uncertainties remain about the actual implementation and the relocation of numerous jobs.

Finally, it should be noted that the desired negotiations about the prospects of the Salzgitter location are of enormous importance. The employees are highly motivated and have great qualifications - they deserve a perspective that extends beyond 2030. Without tangible commitments, however, there will be no final conclusion, according to IG Metall's clear announcement.

The next few weeks are likely to be crucial, not only for the local workers, but also for the entire industry in Lower Saxony. Who knows, perhaps a decisive chapter for the future of Salzgitter will be written here.

For further information, readers can check out the coverage on the website of IG Metall as well as NDR track.