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Union warns of production halt at Dow sites in eastern Germany
More than 700 employees took to the streets in Saxony, Germany, to protest the potential closure of Dow’s chemical production sites in Böhlen and Schkopau. The IG BCE union warns that the consequences could go far beyond job losses.
In response to growing concerns over possible site closures, more than 700 employees of the US-based chemical company Dow staged a protest on 28 May in Böhlen, a town in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. The demonstration was organised by the German Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial Union (IG BCE), with support from workers at neighbouring chemical and energy companies as well as political figures.
Dow is currently reviewing the future of several key production assets across Europe, including its facilities in Böhlen (Saxony) and Schkopau (Saxony-Anhalt). According to the company, high energy and raw material costs, coupled with growing market overcapacity, are driving the evaluation. At the centre of the discussion is the potential shutdown of the steam cracker in Böhlen, which produces chemical base materials from naphtha.
IG BCE urges political support and warns of supply chain collapse
The IG BCE warns that a closure would affect far more than the directly employed workforce. “This isn’t just about hundreds of well-paid and collectively agreed jobs – it’s about the industrial future of an entire region,” said union chairman Michael Vassiliadis. He cautioned that shutting down the cracker would trigger a domino effect along the entire value chain, as both upstream and downstream processes would be disrupted.
The union is calling on the German federal government to act swiftly and support the region with targeted industrial policy measures. “Time is running out – the government must act now,” said Vassiliadis. He also urged Dow not to make hasty decisions, pointing out that the company’s operations in eastern Germany remain profitable. Political support came from Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter, Leipzig district administrator Henry Graichen, and DGB board member Stefan Körzell, who all participated in the protest.
