(Updated.)

BERLIN/VÖLKLINGEN (dpa-AFX) : An economic downturn, cheap Asian steel imports, and high U.S. tariffs: Faced with a deepening crisis in the steel industry, thousands of workers held rallies in Berlin and Völklingen to demonstrate for job security. Under the slogan "Steel has a future : with us!", steelworkers marched from the Brandenburg Gate to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs.

According to the IG Metall union, approximately 1,700 employees from more than 40 plants participated, while police estimated the crowd at 900. In Völklingen, located in the state of Saarland, an additional 8,500 people joined several demonstration marches, according to police reports.

IG Metall is demanding increased political support for the embattled steel industry. The sector is suffering from a stagnant economy and crises in key customer industries such as automotive manufacturing, as well as high energy costs and competition from low-priced steel, primarily from Asia. Furthermore, high U.S. tariffs on steel imports are hitting the industry hard, particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Saarland.

"Policy Must Create Opportunities"

IG Metall also warned against diluting European climate mandates, which could jeopardize the industry's transition to green steel. Companies such as Salzgitter and Saarstahl have already initiated steps to overhaul their production, while the ArcelorMittal group halted plans in 2025 for the climate-neutral conversion of its steelworks in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt. New production facilities for climate-friendly "green" steel, which operate on natural gas and eventually hydrogen, require massive capital expenditures from the steel industry at a time when the market for such products is still in its infancy.

"We want to produce green steel; our steelworks are becoming climate-neutral as far as possible," said Jürgen Kerner, deputy chairman of the union. "However, policymakers must consistently create the conditions for this." He warned against fundamentally questioning the European Emissions Trading System (ETS). "That puts tens of thousands of jobs at risk." At the same time, he argued that support is needed for companies that cannot shoulder the investments in climate-friendly production alone.

A U-Turn on Climate Protection?

The protests come amid a debate over easing climate regulations to strengthen European industry. In Brussels, the EU Commission plans to present proposals for a revision of the ETS in July. Pressure is mounting from industry and certain political factions to soften this climate protection instrument in order to reduce the financial burden on the economy resulting from CO2 certificate trading.

The Premier of Saarland, Anke Rehlinger (SPD), believes the transformation of the domestic steel industry is at risk and recently warned Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) in a letter against a "U-turn" on policy. "The challenges facing the steel industry remain immense, and ETS trading is just the tip of the iceberg here," stated IG Metall Völklingen.

Greens and Left Party Offer Support

Steelworkers in Berlin received support from Green Party leader Felix Banaszak. "This is about the future of the companies, the workforces, and ensuring that we soon produce in a way that allows our children and grandchildren to have a planet and a future worth living in," he said.

Ines Schwerdtner, chairwoman of the Left Party, stated at the rally that the industry's crisis was not caused by the employees, but was the result of insufficient support for the transition to climate-friendly production. "Steel is systemically relevant."

The energy-intensive steel sector, which employs around 80,000 people, has been in crisis for years. In 2025, German steel production fell to 34.1m tonnes of crude steel : a low point not seen since the 2009 financial crisis. The steel giant Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe has approved a harsh restructuring plan and intends to cut approximately 11,000 positions. IG Metall also identified a problem in the fact that more than 3m tonnes of steel from Russia continue to enter Europe annually. The union argues this must be prevented through EU sanctions.

Policymakers have already stepped in to assist the industry. The federal government, for instance, has introduced an industrial electricity price for energy-intensive sectors like steel. Additionally, the EU has adopted protective measures to shield the domestic steel industry from competition. However, for IG Metall, these measures do not go far enough. The union criticizes the fact that the industrial electricity price is temporary, subject to financing caveats, and has only a "homeopathic" effect against high energy costs./als/lea/ro/DP/men