Overview

• Ford Germany and IG Metall have agreed to reduce the workforce at the Cologne plant from about 11,500 to 8,600 by end-2027 through voluntary departures supported by generous severance and early-retirement schemes.
• Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe and IG Metall have secured a Sanierungstarifvertrag through 2030 that cuts up to 11,000 jobs, trims holiday and Christmas pay and lowers weekly hours to 32.5 while excluding forced layoffs until contract expiry.
• Both pacts establish a financial protection shield for retirees and guarantee training and employment security at each company until at least 2030 to 2032.
• Each agreement hinges on upcoming ratification votes by IG Metall members and, in Thyssenkrupp’s case, final financing approval from the parent company.
• The deals aim to shore up finances and support long-term shifts to electric vehicles and green steel production in the face of sluggish demand and high production costs.