German industry and unions oppose EU ban on natural gas from Russia

Germany, a major manufacturing hub and an importer of Russian gas, has so far resisted an immediate shut-off and said it plans to instead phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and most Russian gas imports by mid-2024

Chemical plants like this one, at Wesseling, near Cologne, might have to shut in the event of a ban on Russian gas (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

Germany’s employers and unions have joined together in opposing an immediate European Union ban on natural gas imports from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, saying such a move would lead to factory shutdowns and the loss of jobs in the bloc’s largest economy.

“A rapid gas embargo would lead to loss of production, shutdowns, a further de-industrialisation and the long-term loss of work positions in Germany,” said Rainer Dulger, chairman of the BDA employer’s group, and Reiner Hoffmann, chairman of the DGB trade union confederation, in a joint statement on Monday on Germany’s dpa news agency.