"We won't let that happen," Tekin Nasikkol, who heads the works council of Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, told journalists. "The steel unit needs sufficient funds just like the other business areas," he added.

His remarks come a day after Thyssenkrupp's supervisory board reviewed first expressions of interest for the division, which some analysts say could be worth up to 17 billion euros (15.41 billion pounds).

Thyssenkrupp, in which Swedish activist fund Cevian owns 18%, is looking to list or sell Elevator Technology, which could bring in billions of euros of cash that is needed to pay pensions, cut debt and support its other struggling units.

"If someone like Cevian comes and says 'we'll reach into the cash register' then we're saying: not with us," Nasikkol said, adding he expected to clash with Thyssenkrupp management over a planned restructuring of the steel unit.

The turnaround plan, to be presented in late November, could include more job cuts at the steel unit than the 2,000 previously announced. Nasikkol said there would not be any compulsory layoffs.

(Reporting by Tom Kaeckenhoff; writing by Christoph Steitz; editing by Riham Alkousaa and Thomas Escritt)