Berlin In view of the planned oil embargo against Russia, a debate has flared up about preserving jobs at the PCK refinery in Schwedt, Brandenburg. “As the state government, preserving jobs is of course a very special concern for us,” Brandenburg’s Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (SPD) told the Handelsblatt. “Realistically, a job guarantee should not be possible, but of course we are committed to the best possible safety for the employees.”
The FDP economic politician Reinhard Houben pointed out that as long as the refinery is dependent on Russian oil, its operation will depend on the arbitrariness of the Kremlin. “A guarantee for the jobs cannot be given under these circumstances,” he told the Handelsblatt.
The federal deputy of the Christian Democratic Employees (CDA), Christian Bäumler, on the other hand, is pushing for a state job guarantee. “The jobs in the refinery and at the suppliers must be politically guaranteed,” said Bäumler. “This may mean that the refinery is taken over in whole or in part by the federal government.”
The SPD Left also sees a need for action. “An oil embargo must be combined with a comprehensive strategy to secure jobs and transform the location towards sustainable energy sources,” said Cansel Kiziltepe, head of the SPD’s employee wing. “It is our task in politics to cushion the hardships of this change and to offer the local people sustainable future prospects,” added the member of the Bundestag.
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The EU Commission plans to end imports of Russian crude oil in six months because of the Ukraine war. The “Druschba” (Friendship) pipeline from Russia, whose oil is processed at PCK, ends in Schwedt. The PCK refinery is majority owned by the Russian state-owned company Rosneft. It supplies Berlin and Brandenburg for the most part with fuel. Around 1,200 people work at PCK, the “Petrochemical Combine”.
There are also hundreds of employees at supplier companies. “PCK is Schwedt’s DNA,” says the local community. Almost everyone has relatives employed at the plant, has worked there at one time or has been an apprentice there. Many citizens now fear that the planned import ban could lead to a wave of layoffs.
Habeck encourages refinery workers
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck does not yet have a patent solution. Nevertheless, the Green politician encouraged employees at the refinery. During a visit to the refinery a few days ago, Habeck said in front of hundreds of employees: “I don’t want to screw you up and I don’t want to paint your sky pink in any way. There may be a problem somewhere, something may not work.” But if his plan works, then the plant will have a future and prospects.
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The preparations for new oil wells via ships via Rostock, for the financing of losses by the federal government and for a possible expropriation or a trust solution for PCK were already underway. “If all three work, then you have job security for the near future. (…) We need Schwedt.”
The economy minister talks to the staff of the PCK refinery against the background of the planned EU oil embargo against Russia.
(Photo: dpa)
The IG BCE union is putting pressure on this to succeed. “We demand a location guarantee for Schwedt and long-term employment prospects for the people,” said union boss Michael Vassiliadis. “PCK not only needs a plan to turn away from Russian oil, but also to start the climate-friendly transformation.” Politicians are therefore obliged to “find resilient alternatives for the refinery – both with a view to the supply chain and in terms of ownership”.
Brandenburg’s Economics Minister Steinbach emphasized that the refinery needed financial aid from the federal government in order to be able to continue working under changed conditions. “The state of Brandenburg could not do this alone,” said the SPD politician. “The support from the federal government is essential.”
Supply bottlenecks cannot be ruled out
The co-chairman of the Forum for the Democratic Left in the SPD (DL21), Sebastian Roloff, also relies on the help of the federal government. “The SPD is fully on the side of the employees in this critical infrastructure,” Roloff told the Handelsblatt. “The federal government should, where possible, support the necessary transformation and restructuring measures.”
FDP politician Houben said it was crucial that the PCK refinery had non-Russian crude oil to process. “It is therefore the task of the federal government to develop alternative sources of supply for Schwedt as quickly as possible, for example with our Polish partners via Gdansk.”
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Steinbach underlined the great importance of the refinery. “The PCK refinery plays a very important role for the jobs in the region, for its economic power and for the supply of fuel to Brandenburg and Berlin,” said the minister. It is undisputed that an oil embargo or a delivery stop entails “very big challenges” for everyone involved. It is all the more important to cushion this as much as possible.
At the same time, Habeck pointed out risks such as possible supply bottlenecks. “It can also go wrong in different places,” he said during his visit to Schwedt. But that the whole construct fails, that will not happen. PCK boss Ralf Schairer added: “We are doing everything to ensure our continued existence.”
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