2024-04-18 15:23:17
Shock for hundreds of employees: The Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos is giving up an important location in Germany.
The Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos plans to give up its location in Wahlstedt in Schleswig-Holstein in the long term. The company said production will be gradually pooled at locations in Denmark, Hungary and Serbia over the next three years. The aim is to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the products and solutions.
As a result of the closure of the location in Schleswig-Holstein, around 530 jobs will be lost. Media reported that the pump manufacturer could no longer work profitably at the location due to high energy prices. However, this information has not been confirmed.
The closure didn’t just take the workforce by surprise
“We are completely surprised by the irresponsible decision of the Danish management,” said Stephanie Schmoliner, managing director of the IG Metall Kiel-Neumünster union, to the “Lübecker Nachrichten”.
The city’s deputy mayor, Ulrich Lüthje, was also surprised by the closure: “I’m shocked – also because of the high number of employees who will be affected by it. And it also affects the city of Wahlstedt, because things are going around 25 percent of industrial jobs have been lost and Grundfos is of course also a trade tax payer. This will and must be taken into account in the city’s budget,” said Lüthje on NDR.
Grundfos said that socially acceptable solutions should be found for the employees together with the works council. “We are aware that the plan means a significant cut for our colleagues, the city of Wahlstedt and the entire region,” said board member Bent Jensen. “At the same time, we believe this plan is critical to the long-term future of our company.”