Brussels was awash with 15,000 marching steelworkers yesterday who were trying to protect the steel industry in Europe. Carrying banners that said, “No Europe Without Steel,” the IndustriALL-Europe-led protest called on the European Commission to take concrete measures to guarantee jobs and safeguard the future of the steel industry. During the past seven years, more than 80,000 steelworkers jobs were lost in the European steel industry.
“Steel is of key importance for European industry. Not only does the sector provide employment for more than 330,000 workers, but it also plays an essential role in the first stage of the industrial value chain and in the manufacturing of many industrial products,” said Luc Triangle, General Secretary of IndustriALL Europe.
“We must secure the future of European steel and this includes safeguarding against the import of steel at dumping prices, the presence of strong trade-defense instruments and an emissions trading system that supports jobs and the environment,” Triangle concluded.
Many IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Belgium and beyond also attended the march, which went through the heart of the European Union quarter of the Belgian capital. IndustriALL’s President Jörg Hofmann joined Luc Triangle at the head of the protest, representing both IndustriALL and German affiliate IG Metall, where he is also president.
“We do not want protectionism – we are very competitive when it comes to quality and productivity. But we want fair competition – and no undercutting through steel dumping,” said Luc Triangle.
Demands of Steelworkers
- No to steel dumping, yes to fair trade!
- An emissions trading system that supports the environment and jobs
- Effective trade defense instruments
- A proactive industrial policy to support the steel industry and steelworkers
- More and better jobs for steelworkers
- Increasing and modernizing Europe’s steel capacities
The global challenges to the steel industry will be of key debate at IndustriALL’s base metals world conference to be held in Duisburg, Germany from 21-23 November.2016
