The announcement of the bankruptcy of the Luxembourg steel plant Liberty Steel Liège was a regrettable but predictable outcome of a prolonged period of poor corporate governance and inaction by the Liberty Steel group. European trade unions, particularly industriAll Europe, have sharply condemned this situation, which has jeopardized the jobs of over 550 workers and harmed the production capacity of the European steel industry.
This is reported by Business • Media
Negligence and Lack of Accountability
The General Secretary of industriAll Europe, Judith Kirton-Darling, noted that the company systematically violated its commitments regarding investments and production activities. As a result, hundreds of workers in Liège have been left in a state of uncertainty for years, and in recent months, without salaries and proper payments. A similar situation is observed at other Liberty Steel facilities in Europe, where workers also face injustice and a lack of protection.
“What we are witnessing today is an industrial disaster in slow motion that could have been prevented. We categorically refuse to accept that workers should once again pay for corporate failures and political indifference,” emphasized Kirton-Darling.
The company’s management remains unreachable for accountability regarding its decisions. industriAll Europe notes that such large-scale threats could have been avoided: as early as January 2024, trade unions warned the European Commission, but received no response.
Current Status and Prospects
While in February 2025 it became known that the steel plant Liberty Steel Dudelange had found a potential buyer, trade unions received information about an agreement with a new owner, likely a Turkish steel company. This offers hope for job preservation and production recovery, although the situation remains tense and requires further monitoring by the public and trade unions.