European chemical workers and their trade unions today issued an urgent warning over a rapidly escalating industrial and social crisis threatening more than 1.2 million jobs across one of Europe’s most strategic sectors. Meeting at the Chemical Workers’ Emergency Summit, unions called on EU institutions and employers to take immediate action to safeguard jobs, industrial capacity and Europe’s chemical value chains.
Persistently high energy prices, global overcapacity, unfair trade practices, delocalisation of production outside the EU, weak demand and slow trade-defence measures have gravely undermined the competitiveness of Europe’s chemical industry. At the same time, unions warn that the absence of anticipation and proper management of change has left workers paying the price.
The consequences are already stark. At least 21 chemical site closures have been announced across Europe, with many more expected in the coming years. Capacity utilisation has fallen to just 74.6%, mass layoffs are underway affecting around 30,000 workers, and up to 200,000 jobs could be lost within five years if no corrective action is taken. Basic chemicals and petrochemicals — including strategic molecules such as ethylene and propylene that underpin entire downstream value chains — are among the hardest hit.
Global chemical companies are increasingly shifting investment and production to regions offering cheaper energy, state support and weaker social and environmental standards, while Europe continues to lose crackers, basic chemical plants and integrated industrial sites. Workers face top-down restructuring decisions, insufficient information and consultation, growing pressure on European Works Councils, and mounting threats to their physical and mental health. Automation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and outsourcing are accelerating job losses, while training and upskilling efforts remain fragmented and inadequate.
“Workers are not an adjustment variable — they are the heart of Europe’s chemical industry. Europe must choose whether it wants to retain industrial sovereignty, quality jobs and strong value chains, or continue down a path of deindustrialisation.” Said Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe’s general secretary.
“The crisis in the European chemical industry remains acute and widespread. Individual measures are a step in the right direction but have not yet led to a noticeable turnaround. It is therefore crucially important that EU institutions and employers take immediate action to make that turnaround to safe jobs and industrial capacity in Europe. We must not allow the employees to become the victims of the crisis.” Said Michael Vassiliadis, industriAll Europe’s president.
In a joint declaration trade unions set out a series of urgent demands. These include strong job protection, meaningful social dialogue and anticipation of change; binding social conditionality on public funding with site guarantees; negotiated decarbonisation roadmaps; and major investment in training, upskilling and reskilling to ensure a Just Transition that leaves no worker behind.
Trade unions also called for decisive action to secure affordable, stable and predictable energy prices for industry, including a common European industrial electricity price, better use of ETS revenues to support decarbonisation, and greater integration of renewable and baseload-capable energy systems. They stressed that decarbonisation must go hand in hand with maintaining production, wages and working conditions in Europe.
To rebuild resilience, the Summit urged the EU to boost demand for chemicals and chemical-based value chains through a strong “Made in Europe” approach, safeguarding integrated production systems and ensuring preferential treatment for European products in public procurement. Finally, unions demanded tougher action against global overcapacity and unfair trade practices, calling on the European Commission to fully deploy and strengthen trade-defence instruments to protect European industry.
“Europe can and must demonstrate that economic strength, climate neutrality and good work go hand in hand,” the declaration concludes. “Without urgent political action, Europe risks losing not only industrial capacity, but also skills, jobs and its ability to shape the future of its own industry.”
Read the declaration here FR EN DE