"Merck Schuchardt" before the end: More than a hundred employees could lose their jobs
Created: 04/14/2022, 05:30
By: Wolfgang Rotzsche
Already in January, the employees in Hohenbrunn demonstrated for a better social plan © private/Archive
The "Merck Schuchardt" company has been in the Hohenbrunn industrial park for over 70 years.
Numerous employees live in the immediate vicinity and some work here in the second generation.
The site is now on the brink of collapse.
In mid-2024, the gates could close forever.
Hohenbrunn
- The leader of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bavarian state parliament, Florian von Brunn, has now got a picture of the situation on site at the wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck KGaA.
He came to visit the company and spoke to the works council, the trade union and the site management.
They are all hoping for political support and a last glimmer of hope to avert the closure after all.
Appeal to social responsibility
The division in Hohenbrunn is one of the leading German manufacturers and suppliers of organic intermediates, fine chemicals, reagents and solvents for laboratories, pilot plants and production.
According to von Brunn, he cannot understand the decision of the group management.
"Merck Schuchardt" is economically very successful.
Consequently, it could only be a corporate strategy why Hohenbrunn should be closed.
Von Brunn emphasizes that the parent company is committed to social partnership.
The company must also be measured by this.
After all, the employees in Hohenbrunn have a great deal of knowledge and competence that is being jeopardized.
In addition, there are many families who are at home in the region.
"For me, Merck's decision is incomprehensible," said the group leader.
And adds: "I question whether a closure is really unavoidable."
Works council: "Only write black numbers"
Works council chairman Michael Sevcik would also like to have this hope.
"But the closure seems to be very concrete." Even if the opinion of the workforce still prevails that Hohenbrunn should not fall victim to the cutbacks: "After all, we are only writing black numbers." He could not understand that the Hohenbrunner Location to be relocated to Schnelldorf (Ansbach district): "We have 110 employees, of whom just two have agreed to go there."
In addition to Hohenbrunn, the Steinheim am Albuch site (Heidenheim district; Baden-Württemberg) is also to be closed.
Sevcik points out that it will not be easy for many of his colleagues to get a new job, especially given the extremely good conditions in Hohenbrunn.
Negotiations have stalled
The negotiations with the group regarding the social plan have meanwhile come to a standstill, but seem to be picking up speed again.
Merck demands that full commitment be shown in Hohenbrunn up to the last day: "We also expect something in return, not just a standard social plan."
Even if the workforce is disappointed with the corporate decision, they are loyal and motivated to give their best to the end.
"But we also want a corresponding compensation for our commitment and for the emotional burden." Demonstrations for this already took place in January (we reported).
That's why Florian von Brunn was invited.
He would like to see his visit as support, but sees the negotiations as "in good hands".
The ball is therefore in the hands of the works council and the industrial union for mining, chemicals and energy (IG BCE).
SPD politician wants to bring topic to state parliament
However, von Brunn can definitely imagine approaching the parent company or bringing the issue up in the state parliament.
The priority is to make it clear to the outside world that “we are talking about real people and real families who are affected.”
Hohenbrunn Mayor Stefan Straßmair (CSU) regrets that the last hour has probably struck for Schuchardt: "The contact with the company was always close and good."
history
The roots of "Merck Schuchardt" go back to the year 1866.
At that time Dr.
Theodor Schuchardt a chemical factory in Görlitz.
At the end of the Second World War, the company was relocated to Hohenbrunn via Eisenach, Ebenhausen and Munich.
From the end of 1949, Schuchardt's successors rebuilt the factory there.
In 1972, Merck KGaA in Darmstadt took over the company.
Coming together for an exchange: (from left) Stefan Plenk, union secretary of the IG BCE district of Munich, Michael Sevcik, chairman of the works council at the Hohenbrunn site, and Florian von Brunn, parliamentary group leader of the Bavarian SPD state parliamentary group © SPD Bayern
