The French train and rail technology manufacturer Alstom wants to cut jobs at several locations in Germany.

According to the group, the plants in Görlitz and Bautzen in Saxony and the factory in Salzgitter in Lower Saxony are affected.

According to information from industry circles, up to 1200 jobs will be lost.

The company said that they had to "adjust the positions in production". A range of 900 to 1300 positions is being discussed. The plans were discussed internally on Friday. The state governments in Hanover and Dresden are also in the picture, it said. Various information was circulated about the implementation: In some cases, there was talk of the first cuts by next spring, while Alstom spoke of a total period of three years.

The manufacturer pointed out that up to 700 new jobs are to be created in new work areas such as software and digitization as well as engineering and other services - for example in Braunschweig, Berlin and Mannheim.

Regardless of this, however, there is no avoiding savings in traditional production, which in addition to Salzgitter, Görlitz and Bautzen also affect Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Mannheim and Siegen.

The aim is to become more competitive.

To this end, Alstom is starting a “compact transformation plan”.

IG Metall announces resistance

Saxony's Minister of Economic Affairs, Martin Dulig, responded with “absolute incomprehension”. In Görlitz up to 400 and in Bautzen up to 150 jobs should be cut, said the SPD politician after talks with the works council. "This poisoned Christmas present is completely unacceptable." Consultations with Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck are in preparation, it was said in Dresden. The state of Lower Saxony with Salzgitter as one of the largest Alstom plants in Europe did not initially comment.

According to information from IG Metall, the company currently has around 9,400 employees in Germany.

Up to 450 jobs in Hennigsdorf and up to 100 jobs at the German headquarters in Berlin are on the brink.

IG Metall district chief Birgit Dietze criticized the plans as short-sighted.

“Downsizing is a simple and initially quick tool,” she said.

“In the long run, however, that means a loss of know-how.” The cuts will not simply be accepted.

The business situation at Alstom has repeatedly been difficult in recent years.

At the end of January, the French completed their merger with the train division of the Canadian Bombardier group, creating the second largest company in the industry.

A merger with Siemens Zugtechnik had previously failed due to resistance from the EU Commission.

Lower Saxony's Minister of Economic Affairs, Bernd Althusmann, assumed that the merger with the Bombardier rail business could bring great economic opportunities.

According to its own information, Alstom recently had around 2000 employees in Salzgitter.

The corona crisis also had consequences for the group.

In the second half of the previous 2020/2021 financial year (end of March), incoming orders and sales generated under its own steam - excluding acquisitions, sales and currency effects - declined overall at Alstom.

The net profit fell to 247 million euros, after a year earlier there had been an increase of 467 million euros on the balance sheet.