Dulig: Unilever must secure the Auerbach plant in the long term

Economy Minister Martin Dulig (SPD) has appealed to the food company Unilever to hold on to the Auerbach plant in Vogtland in the long term. The site is highly productive and profitable, he emphasized during a visit on Thursday. "People need the certainty that it is secure in the long term. That's what I expect from Unilever."

At the beginning of the year, the company announced plans to cut around 80 jobs at the plant this year. The approximately 175 employees produce packet soups, among other things. The move was justified by falling demand for such dry products.

Following pressure from the workforce and the Food, Beverages and Catering Union, the company has since backtracked to some extent. In April, Unilever announced that it would be investing ten million euros in Auerbach by the end of 2026. The plant will be expanded into a competence center for snack products - including an additional production line. The new concept will make it possible to reduce job cuts by almost half, it said. This is to be achieved without compulsory redundancies.

This is first and foremost a success for those involved on site, said Dulig on Thursday. The example shows the importance of company co-determination. "Co-determination is the order of the day." Employees have a high level of identification with their companies. "Using this resource is simply smart," emphasized the Social Democrat.