DUISBURG (dpa-AFX) - North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Labor Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) has admonished Thyssenkrupp's Executive Board to involve the workforce. "I expect the company management to be aware of the responsibility it bears for our state and the people in the Ruhr region. And that it does not trample on the tradition of social partnership, but involves the workforce," Laumann told the Düsseldorf newspaper "Rheinische Post" (Tuesday).

The NRW Minister of Labor reminded Group CEO Miguel Lopez of the billion euro claim by the state: Together with the federal government, the state government had sent thyssenkrupp a claim of around two billion euros. The up to 700 million euros from the state is the largest single claim in the history of North Rhine-Westphalia. "We have also taken the money in hand so that the employees in the steel industry, the supplier industries and processing companies have a future here and not to fill investors' accounts," Laumann told the newspaper.

Laumann will be speaking at an IG Metall rally in Duisburg on Tuesday. Thousands of steel workers are expected /uho/DP/zb