The wind industry in Germany is largely confident about the future, but is still under considerable pressure, according to a new research being released at Wind Energy Hamburg next week.
According to the survey, 67% of the companies (previous year: 66%) expect a positive market development.
Despite the high global expansion targets for wind energy, however, 15% (previous year: 14%) of respondents made a negative assessment of the future development of the industry.
This is the result of a survey of works councils from 30 companies with 28,600 employees on behalf of trade union IG Metall Küste, which it presented in the run-up to the WindEnergy trade fair in Hamburg.
In addition, the results show that half of the companies (52%) have carried out restructuring or restructuring in the past twelve months or are currently planning to do so.
In addition, numerous companies have relocated or are planning to relocate.
IG Metall Küste district manager Daniel Friedrich said: “This shows that the domestic wind industry needs to be strengthened across the entire value chain.
“We need the technology here in Germany to secure an independent and climate-friendly energy supply.”
The skilled worker situation in the wind industry is so tense it could affect the expansion of wind power in Germany, said the trade union.
More than 82% of companies have difficulties filling vacancies, and only 41% of companies have been able to fill all the training places offered in training, it added.
Friedrich said: “These are partly home-made problems, because companies without collective bargaining coverage in particular have these enormous difficulties.
“There, only one in six companies was able to fill its training places.”
In order to survive in the competition for skilled workers, many companies are taking additional measures to improve working conditions, for example through attractive working time models or cooperation with schools and universities, according to the trade union.
The results of the survey will be discussed by the IG Metall district manager and works councillors with Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Melanie Leonhard, and the President of the German Renewable Energy Association (BEE), Simone Peter, at the trade fair.
The IG Metall Coast event will take place on Wednesday, 25 September from 10:30am to 12pm in Hall A 3, Speakers’ Corner.