Miracle of Neunkirchen: Purem secures 1000 jobs through new tariff!

Miracle of Neunkirchen: Purem secures 1000 jobs through new tariff!

In Neunkirchen, the Purem by Eberspächer plant, under the direction of Ralf Bickel, has taken a remarkable turn. Bickel, often referred to as the architect of the “Miracle of Neunkirchen”, and the site's approximately 1,000 employees have made immense efforts to maintain the work despite considerable challenges. A temporary crisis put the factory's future in question and almost led to its closure, resulting in numerous layoffs, as the Saarbrücker Zeitung reports that...

The workforce responded to this crisis with determination. Over the past few months, they were able to develop solutions together that stabilized the plant. This led to members of Purem by Eberspächer recently agreeing to a new future collective agreement with a clear majority. The agreement, which provides for the establishment of a co-determined future fund, was reached after fundamentally different positions were resolved in the negotiations.

Future collective agreement and co-determination

The newly Future Collective Agreement, which is essential for long-term competitiveness and job security at the Neunkirchen location, among other things, shows Purem's ambitions. The fund is used to co-finance future products and investments. One of the most crucial provisions in this new collective agreement was job security, which required a compromise between the negotiating partners.

IG Metall ensured that the conditions in the new contract did not impose any additional burden compared to the previous collective agreement from 2019. This also means that identical contributions from employees are used to ensure the future security of Purem. An important clarification states that one-off payments from future collective bargaining are not covered by the postponements and that any deviations from new collective agreements must be agreed with IG Metall.

Perspectives for the future

It is emphasized that the future collective agreement does not guarantee a risk-free future. Nevertheless, initial approaches to possible product commitments were discussed in the negotiations. The employee contributions that are not used to secure the future flow back to the employees. This shows the commitment and support offered to the workforce, but also that the challenges are far from over.

Ralf Bickel and his team continue to face the challenge of not only keeping the factory in Neunkirchen stable, but also making it competitive for future generations. Despite the uncertainties in the industry, the determination of the management team and staff is remarkable and shows a deep pride in the location. While the plant is breaking new ground after the turbulent times, the development remains exciting and of great importance for the future of the company and the region.