ArcelorMittal Bremen is introducing short-time work in July for part of its staff, local news portal Buten un Binnen writes. The measure will include the hot-rolling as well as cold-rolling mills, while the blast furnace-oxygen converter steel melting operation will continue.
The measure comes as a reaction to low demand from the automotive and the construction industries, ArcelorMittal gets quoted as saying. The group was contacted by Kallanish for confirmation and details, but did not reply by deadline on Monday.
According to Buten un Binnen, short-time work was already envisaged by the mill for June, but the works council stood up against it. However, union IG Metall reportedly said that measures probably cannot be prevented going into the third quarter, which seems to be the case now.
Some weeks ago, market players spoke of a one-and-a-half-week production stop at ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt, the other big strip mill of the group in Germany. The company has neither confirmed nor denied the rumours.
Christian Koehl Germany
