Rostock DB-Cargo plant in danger: employees raise the alarm!

Rostock DB-Cargo plant in danger: employees raise the alarm!

in the Rostock DB-Cargo plant, which has been responsible for maintaining and repairing locomotives and freight wagons for almost 60 years, burns the air. The employees are concerned about a possible closure of the company after deciding that 20 out of 55 employees should be transferred to other positions within the company. This measure further heated up the uncertainty among the employees, so reports The situation in the DB Cargo Werk, the German Railway's freight daughter, is tense. According to a fire letter from the works council, which was addressed to Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig, among other things, Works Council Chairman Thomas Pfarr warns of the massive personnel reductions that could endanger the existence and future of the work. By 2029, DB Cargo plans to reduce a total of 5,000 jobs, and the Rostock plant is directly affected. In the first step, 24 of the 55 jobs are to be deleted, which could endanger the gates of the only DB Cargo plant in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, such as the Nordkurier reported.

support from the country

In an open letter, the employees and the works council contacted the state government. State Secretary Ines Jesse from the SPD assured support and is planning talks with corporate management. This support is urgently necessary, because a closure of the work would significantly extend the already critical repair times for shunting locomotives, since the next maintenance plants in mesh near Hamburg and Seddin are near Berlin. For the seaport in Rostock, where many freight trains begin and end, the repair infrastructure is of central importance.

The economic situation of DB Cargo is precarious. The company has been struggling with red numbers for years, which affects the need for maintenance. The decline in transport quantities has tightened the situation, as company spokesman describes. In addition, the work in Rostock is viewed as an important part of the logistics and maintenance infrastructure in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Transports for the Bundeswehr are also handled here. Thus, a workshop with the previous capacity is indispensable- not only for economic, but also for security and defense policy reasons.

outlook and challenges

In addition to the current challenges, there are shadows about future investments. Hopes for a settlement of the train manufacturer Toshiba on the DB Cargo site were recently disappointed, which is considered a strategic setback for the Rostock location. Nevertheless, Deutsche Bahn plans to improve the site through a major project that also includes the renovation of the freight station. This could help to better use the potential of freight trains.

The planned salvage of 1.6 million tons of war ammunition from the North and Baltic Sea is part of this major project, which is also intended to serve climate neutrality by 2045. While the state parliament has to vote on this steps, the future of the Rostock DB-Cargo plant remains uncertain. The employees hope for a turn to maintain the work and to avert the impending closure.