Thyssenkrupp works council says steel leadership crisis puts sale at risk
Adds context in paragraph 6, shareholder comment in paragraph 7, economy minister in paragraph 9
By Christoph Steitz and Tom Käckenhoff
FRANKFURT/DUESSELDORF, Aug 30 (Reuters) -Thyssenkrupp's TKAG.DE planned sale of its steel business is at risk over uncertainty following a leadership crisis at the unit, the German conglomerate's works council head said on Friday.
"Uncertainty among the workforce is at a maximum. Fears about the future of employees and that of the company can be felt everywhere," said Tekin Nasikkol, who also sits on Thyssenkrupp's 20-seat supervisory board.
His comments come after Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (TKSE) late on Thursday said its chairman, chief executive and five other supervisory and management board members would leave, reflecting a deepening dispute over the steel unit's future.
Thyssenkrupp shares were flat at 0903 GMT after earlier falling by 1.8%. The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach foundation, Thyssenkrupp's top shareholder with a 21% stake, also declined to comment.
At the core of the clash lies the question over how deep a planned restructuring of TKSE should be and how much money it needs ahead of a partial sale to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.
Kretinsky's energy holding EPH declined to comment.
A business plan presented earlier month, and rubber-stamped by consultancies Roland Berger and McKinsey, didn't go far enough for Thyssenkrupp CEO Miguel Lopez, who is tasked to finally get a sale of TKSE done after numerous failed attempts.
"Mr. Lopez will now implement this strategy all the more swiftly and consistently. That is the clear message of yesterday's development," said Marc Tuengler of DSW, a lobby group that represents Thyssenkrupp's private shareholders.
Works council head Nasikkol said the government should now get involved to help solve the dispute that has engulfed Germany's largest steelmaker and its roughly 27,000 employees.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement that all stakeholders now needed to ensure the company returns to calmer waters and set aside their differences.
Kretinsky recently bought a 20% stake in TKSE and there are concerns over what the current crisis means for ongoing talks for him to buy a further 30% from Thyssenkrupp, according to people familiar with the matter.
"It can be assumed that the talks with Mr Kretinsky regarding a 50:50 joint venture are now really picking up speed," DSW's Tuengler said.
Labour representatives on Thyssenkrupp's supervisory board have requested an extraordinary board meeting to discuss the current crisis, a spokesperson for the IG Metall union said.
($1 = 0.9020 euros)
Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Tom Kaeckenhoff; Additional reporting by Markus Wacket in Berlin and Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Ludwig Burger and Miral Fahmy
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.