Red alert: massive job losses in Solingen – what now?

Red alert: massive job losses in Solingen – what now?

The alarm bells are ringing in Solingen! The long-standing Accuride site, known for the production of steel rims for commercial vehicles, is facing serious cuts due to bankruptcy. As Solinger Tageblatt reports, a drastic reduction in the workforce is to be expected. The company, whose parent company in the USA is also insolvent, plans not to continue operating its European locations. As a result, the number of employees in Solingen fell from over 800 to less than 600 within a year. More and more smaller companies in the region are struggling with similar problems, which has prompted IHK President Henner Pasch to name the local challenges.

But that's not all. The traditional company Zwilling has also decided to cut jobs, although the details of the transformation program remain unclear. The problems that companies are struggling with are diverse. Issues such as slow fiber optic expansion, inadequate digitalization and inadequate child care are driving the local economy further into a corner.

The shadows of deindustrialization

In a broader context, there is a worrying trend in the German economy. Tagesschau reports on a structural crisis in the manufacturing industry, which also does not spare Solingen. Other well-known suppliers are also forced to cut jobs. ZF plans to cut a total of 14,000 jobs in Germany by 2028. Pressure from international competitors, particularly from China, has only exacerbated the situation. Manufacturers such as Bilstein, Ronal and Michelin have already announced significant cuts.

IG Metall is active in Solingen and is strongly committed to preserving jobs. The spokesman emphasizes that the Solingen location should be viewed as a “pearl within the Accuride Group”. The hope is that a promising solution can be found to secure jobs in the long term. Despite the challenges, we are always working on long-term optimization of costs and structures and looking for a new owner.

Looking into the future

The economic situation in Solingen and the region is tense and the challenges are growing. IHK President Pasch calls for greater attention to economic development in order to set a new course and strengthen the location. To ensure that this does not lead to the complete dismissal of undesirable developments, effective concepts are needed for a powerful business location.

It remains to be seen how the coming months will develop. So far only one thing is clear: the Solingen location urgently needs to be repositioned in order to be able to survive the competition. We can only hope that those responsible manage to have a good hand in finding solutions.