Future of the solar industry in Brandenburg, Germany and Europe endangered

Future of the solar industry in Brandenburg, Germany and Europe endangered

The IGBCE state district manager Nordost, Stephanie Albrecht-Suliak, urgently calls on politics to work for sustainable solutions in the solar industry. The reason for this requirement is the possible loss of around 300 jobs in the GMB Glass Manufaktur in Tschernitz, Brandenburg. Albrecht-Suliak criticizes that federal politics does not react to the economic warning shots that become public every day due to high energy prices, exuberant regulation and distorted competition.

The solar industry in Germany and Europe has been struggling with dumping offers from modules for some time, especially from China. These unfair trade practices endanger the transformation of the solar energy industry in the course of the energy transition. Without government support, such as the resilience bonus, the GMB Glass Manufaktur would be in front of the end. The company is the last remaining special glass and photovoltaic manufacturer in Brandenburg and plays an important role in the energy transition. It produces high-quality photovoltaic glass products that are in demand nationally and internationally and thus contributes to promoting the solar energy industry and creating industrial workplaces in the region.

The workforce of the GMB glass manufacturer is shocked by the closure announced for March 2024 and misses transparent communication. The union secretary Vivian Madeja emphasizes that the GMB should have a future in Chernitz with its innovative products and committed employees. Last year, after difficult negotiations, a collective agreement was achieved at the GMB for the first time. IGBCE has already communicated its concerns regarding the GMB to state and federal politics in autumn and is now calling for an active industrial policy from the federal government to stop the de-industrialization of entire industries and locations.

The table below shows important information about the Northeast district and the IGBCE:

| State district of northeast |
| ———————- |
| Federal States: Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt |
| Employees: 148,000 |
| Members (IGBCE): 80,000 |

The situation of the GMB glass manufacturer and the impending job losses in the solar industry are of great importance for the region. The Federal Government and Politics as a whole are now responsible for taking measures to ensure the future of the solar industry in Brandenburg, Germany and Europe and to counter the effects of the current challenges.

Source: igbce nordost/ots