Energy | A large German trade union warns: splitting Uniper into parts would lead to an “open conflict” with Fortum

Germany’s the second largest trade union Verdi warns that splitting up the energy company Uniper would lead to an “open conflict” with its Finnish majority owner Fortum.

Uniper is Germany’s largest gas supplier, and it has run into serious difficulties due to the decrease in Russian gas supplies and the resulting price increase.

German Minister of Economy Robert Habeck has said that the owner of Uniper, i.e. Fortum, which is owned by the Finnish state, should participate in the rescue efforts.

Fortum, on the other hand, has proposed splitting Uniper into parts. The parts important to the German energy system, i.e. at least the natural gas business and German coal power, would be separated into a separate company. This company would become owned by the German state.

The end Uniper, which includes a lot of valuable hydropower in Sweden and Germany and also nuclear power in Sweden, would form another company, where Fortum would remain the owner.

“If Fortum wants to push through its proposal, it will drift into an open conflict with us,” says a member of Verdi’s board of directors Christoph Schmitz news agency Reuters.

Schmitz’s according to Uniper, splitting up would threaten 5,000 jobs in Germany. In total, Uniper has approximately 11,500 employees around the world.

The trade union Verdi would like to keep Uniper as one company, even if it is also ready for some restructuring.

According to Schmitz, the union would welcome the German government becoming a shareholder in Uniper, as it did when it saved the airline Lufthansa during the pandemic.

Uniperin the chairman of the trade union representing the employees Harald Seegatz also opposes the splitting up of Uniper. Seegatz commented in an interview to the Rheinische Post that Fortum is trying to pick the raisins from the bun with its chopping proposal.

“None of us have the time or energy to undertake any long-term restructuring,” says Seegatz.