Workers protest outside 3M's Dyneon plant in Germany

HANOVER, Germany—Around 700 employees and supporters have staged a protest over the planned closure of the Dyneon fluoropolymers production facility at the Gendorf Chemical Park in Germany, trade union IGBCE has reported.

The mass gathering outside the gates of the facility on Dec. 20, 2023, marked the one-year anniversary of Dyneon parent group 3M's announcement that it would close the plant due to regulatory moves against fluorinated substances.

Under the plan, St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M is to phase out all per- and polyfluorinated chemicals, known as PFAS—including fluoroelastomers manufactured by its Dyneon subsidiary.

At the IGBCE rally, Michael Schnabl, chairman of the works council of the chemical site operator Infraserv, said: "It's not just about Dyneon and the 700 jobs, at the end of the day the entire European industry depends on the availability of fluoropolymers."

Noting potential impacts on automotive manufacture, health care and other key sectors in Germany, Schnabl added, "Top politicians need to do much more, but the systemic relevance of the German production of fluorochemicals has not yet reached them."

For his part, Jonas Lang, acting district manager of IGBCE Altotting, called on 3M's leadership to negotiate with prospective buyers and talk to the union about the continued existence of the location.

"When I think that in the future the USA, China and India will decide how we are supplied with fluoropolymers," Lang said, urging politicians to think abou the importance of the German production of fluoropolymers. "After the gas dependency, we are now sliding into the next dependency."

At the end of the rally, there was once again "a sea of light from mobile phones, before all participants let the lights go out symbolically for the absurd plans of 3M," said IGBCE.