German unions warn of collapse as Russian natural gas cuts

If Russian natural gas was cut off, the head of the German Federation Trade Unions DGB warned on Sunday that major industries in the country were at risk of collapsing.

The entire industry is in danger of collapsing because of the gas bottlenecks, according to Yasmin Fahimi, who spoke to Bild am Sonntag. Such a collapse would have huge consequences for the entire economy and jobs in Germany. Fahimi warned a day before a scheduled round of crisis talks between Fahimi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Russian imports have been heavily reliant on the continent because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February.

Fahimi called for a price cap on energy for households. She said that households and businesses will be burdened by the rising costs of CO 2 emissions, creating a crisis that could lead to social and labor unrest.

The head of Germany's regulatory agency for energy called on residents to save energy and prepare for winter when use increases, fearing Russia might cut off natural gas supplies.

Federal Network Agency President Klaus Mueller urged house and apartment owners to have their gas boilers and radiators checked and adjusted to maximize efficiency.

He told Funke Mediengruppe, a German newspaper and magazine publisher, that maintenance can reduce gas consumption by 10% to 15%.

Mueller said residents and property owners need to use the 12 weeks before the cold weather sets in to get ready. He said families should start talking about whether every room needs to be set at its usual temperature in the winter or whether some rooms can be a little colder.