ESSEN (dpa-AFX) - In the dispute over the Thyssenkrupp Executive Board's approach to the planned restructuring of the Group, employees are once again receiving support from the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia. NRW Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) will also address the employees at the protest rally planned for Thursday in front of the Thyssenkrupp headquarters, as announced by IG Metall in Düsseldorf on Tuesday. Up to 5000 Thyssenkrupp employees from all divisions are expected to attend the rally. The occasion is a meeting of the parent company's Supervisory Board on the same day.

Laumann had already taken part in a similar rally on April 30 in Duisburg and had called on the company to respect the tradition of social partnership.

Employee representatives accuse the Management Board, led by Chairman Miguel López, of not involving them sufficiently and at an early stage in important decisions. The Management Board rejects this. The main focus is on the steel division, Germany's largest steel manufacturer with 27,000 employees: A few weeks ago, Thyssenkrupp announced a significant reduction in steel production capacity in Duisburg, which is to be accompanied by job cuts. Details are still open.

In addition, the EPCG holding company of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is to take over 20 percent of the steel division, and later 50 percent. The planned strategic partnership is to focus primarily on energy supplies. The Supervisory Board is to vote on the acquisition on Thursday.

In an interview at the weekend, Knut Giesler, District Director of IG Metall in North Rhine-Westphalia, stated that the conditions for employee approval on the Supervisory Board included securing jobs for several years, safeguarding the location and investment commitments. "These are the red lines for us," Giesler told Welt am Sonntag. "And if there is no written basis for this before the Supervisory Board meeting, I cannot imagine that the employee representatives will agree to a sale of shares."

However, with the double voting rights of the Supervisory Board Chairman, the capital side can outvote the employee side. In this case, Giesler announced a "corresponding reaction in the workforce"./tob/DP/tih