ArcelorMittal has denied reports that 1,150 jobs in Luxembourg are at risk.

The news that up to 1,150 jobs at ArcelorMittal Luxembourg could be at risk as part of a Europe-wide restructuring has sparked heated debate among trade unions, the media and the company itself. The reason for this was the news that up to 5,600 jobs could be transferred from Europe to India, affecting around 20 countries and mainly the IT, logistics and technical maintenance sectors.

LCGB representative Robert Fornieri told RTL that he was not surprised but disappointed by this turn of events. He criticised the strategy whereby, in his words, ArcelorMittal takes advantage of European state aid to protect itself from competition and then considers relocating or cutting jobs in order to increase profitability. Fornieri confirmed that discussions at European level do indeed cover thousands of positions.

At the same time, the situation in Luxembourg remains uncertain. According to a trade union representative, social dialogue is ongoing and sectoral agreements in the steel sector are in place, with a new agreement currently under negotiation. Within this framework, the transfer of jobs abroad is considered unacceptable, as it contradicts the spirit of the tripartite agreement, in which the state, employers and trade unions agree to support reorganisations through social measures, but without relocating employment.

ArcelorMittal, in turn, denied claims of large-scale job losses. A company representative stated that the figures discussed at the European Works Council meeting only reflected the scale of the scenario under consideration, not the final decisions. According to him, claims that thousands of jobs will be transferred to Poland or India are not true.

As for Luxembourg, the company called reports about the number of jobs "at risk" inaccurate. ArcelorMittal emphasised that issues relating to organisational structure, staffing levels, investment and the strengthening of the role of the global headquarters, including the use of artificial intelligence, are currently being discussed in a tripartite format. Thus, no final decisions have yet been made, and the negotiation process remains a key factor in the further development of the situation.