On the topic of the final closure of the steel production site of Schifflange, the LCGB trade union has reacted to yesterday's announcement by ArcelorMittal concerning the permanent closure of the steel production site in Schifflange.

The trade union acknowledges that the announcement was expected as, in 2011, ArcelorMittal had advised a temporary closure of the site. Since then, almost 700 employees concerned have benefited from tripartite agreements, a strong and valuable tool of the Luxembourg steel industry. By means of early departures for early retirement, reclassifications within other sites in Luxembourg, etc. redundancies of employees from the Schifflange site have been avoided until now.

The LCGB argues that this closure is down to bad decisions in terms of investments or lack of a strategic concept; they have requested the ArcelorMittal Luxembourg management to avoid any danger to jobs at any other national production sites.

Considering the positive experience of restructuring in the Agora project at Esch-Belval, the LCGB however has welcomed the decision to carry out a survey of the conversion of the Schifflange site. Such a transformation of a former industrial site could act as a creator of jobs beneficiary to the national economy and the fight against unemployment.