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Economy
The end of Rheinhausen!?
Rheinhausen - a symbol for the end of an era. On 2 December 1982, the steel producers Krupp Stahl AG announces plans to close its rolling mill in Duisburg-Rheinhausen.
Krupp wants to shed another 3,600 workers. The management says there's no money to be made from rolling mills, with steel products at present prices.
"Rheinhausen" becomes a synonym for "steel crisis". Krupp blames the Federal Government. How, the bosses ask, can German companies compete against the subsidised suppliers in other European countries.
The workers fight the closure and gain a stay of execution. However, the writing is on the wall. Since 1970, the total workforce in the manufacturing sector has already fallen by 10%, while the service sector has seen a 8.5% rise in employment.
Structural change, as prescribed by successive governments, is well underway.
Dirk Bitzer
