Duisberg/Mumbai — Steel workers at Thyssenkrupp expect substantial guarantees for jobs and plants even if a planned joint venture with India’s Tata Steel falls apart, the head of Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe’s works council says. The two companies in 2018 agreed to combine their European steel activities, a move that would create the continent’s second-largest steelmaker but still needs European Commission approval. Powerful steel workers at Thyssenkrupp, who have long been critical of the deal, in 2018 gave their consent in exchange for far-reaching guarantees, including job and plant protection until 2026. On Wednesday, they said that these guarantees should remain in place even if the joint venture fails, a real risk as it is unclear whether Brussels will agree to a list of remedies the two groups submitted earlier this week to gain approval. “Should a joint venture — in theory — not happen we demand the same protection for our employees and our plants,” Tekin Nasikkol, head of Thys...
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