WIESBADEN/FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - The planned closure of the Bayer plant in Frankfurt has been met with sharp criticism from the state government in Wiesbaden. "The closure of a Hessian site is completely unacceptable to us," said Economics Minister Kaweh Mansoori (SPD). "It contradicts the principles of social partnership on which our working world is based."
Mansoori called on Bayer to "finally engage seriously with employee representatives to seek alternatives and negotiate fairly." "If the company agrees to this dialogue, we as a state will stand by the employees and provide support wherever necessary."
On Monday, Bayer announced that it would restructure its crop protection business and close its site in Frankfurt's Hochst industrial park, which employs around 500 people, by the end of 2028. However, not all jobs will be lost. A buyer is to be found for parts of the crop protection production, while others will be transferred to the sites in Dormagen and Knapsack (North Rhine-Westphalia). Research and development will be consolidated in Monheim am Rhein. The pharmaceutical and agricultural chemicals company cited fierce low-cost competition from Asia, overcapacity, and increasing regulation as the reasons for the decision.
Works council announces resistance
The chemical workers' union IG BCE and the Bayer General Works Council had criticized the closure plans for Frankfurt as a "break in the company's 162-year history." Marianne Maehl, chairwoman of the Bayer works council in Frankfurt, announced that employees would resist the move. "We will fight—for the preservation of the site, for our future, and for fair prospects."
The planned closure of the Bayer plant in Frankfurt is a serious blow to the Hochst industrial park, where around 90 chemical and pharmaceutical companies employ approximately 20,000 people. Just last year, chemical giant BASF announced that it would be giving up its site in Frankfurt.
IHK sees Bayer's withdrawal as a warning sign
The Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) described Bayer's withdrawal as an alarm signal. "Germany's position as an industrial location is being undermined in international competition by numerous government-imposed location disadvantages such as expensive energy, high taxes and charges, and excessive regulation and bureaucracy," said IHK President Ulrich Caspar. The federal government must quickly improve economic conditions. "Only then will industrial companies invest here in the future and be able to withstand global competitive pressure."/als/DP/men
