German unionists protest against the “green agenda”: “It has destroyed 100,000 industrial jobs in one year”
German unionists are sounding the alarm as Germany, long regarded as a global leader in green policies, has had enough: the fight against “climate change” and the rise of environmentalist politicians has led to a sharp decline in quality of life and now threatens to completely destroy the country’s industrial base.
That’s why it is both surprising and significant that a group of union leaders has come together to protest against what they describe as a disaster. A coalition of industrial works councils is calling on Chancellor Merz to halt what they consider a suicidal course in climate policy.
Among the signatories of the letter are union representatives from LEAG, ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt, BASF Schwarzheide, the Lausitz Energy works council, and the regional leadership of the IGBCE (Industrial Union of Mining, Chemistry and Energy).
The tone is striking: the situation is described as “the worst economic crisis since World War II.” Over 100,000 industrial jobs have been lost just this year. In fact, the total number of jobs lost since 2020 is three times that figure, according to Ernst & Young. By issuing a public letter, these union leaders are openly challenging the political consensus. They point directly to the Green Deal—what they describe as an administrative metastasis that has paralyzed Europe’s economic engine.
Since the COVID lockdowns, more than 300,000 jobs have vanished in Germany’s industrial core. Energy-intensive production has become almost a fantasy, especially as competitors like the United States pay up to 75% less for electricity.
ArcelorMittal recently abandoned its green steel plans, despite receiving billions in government subsidies. BASF is cutting 700 jobs at its Ludwigshafen site. What was once touted as a “green restructuring” of the German economy is now starting to resemble an industrial obituary. Each day, another heavily subsidized project quietly collapses into the oblivion of centralized planning.
These developments underscore growing discontent within Germany’s industrial and labor sectors, as the costs of the energy transition increasingly weigh on economic competitiveness and employment. The unions’ warning to Chancellor Merz is clear: change course, or risk further deindustrialization.
