Iconic Eberswalder sausage plant shuts down after 46 years of production
The Eberswalder Wurstwerke plant in Britz, once Europe’s largest meat-processing facility, will close by the end of February 2023. Over 500 jobs will disappear as production shifts to other locations under the same brand. The shutdown follows years of declining investment, according to union representatives.
The Britz plant opened in 1977 and once employed more than 3,000 workers. At its peak, it produced 300 million sausages annually, generating €120 million in revenue. The facility was acquired by the Zur-Mühlen Gruppe, a subsidiary of the Tönnies meat conglomerate, in 2023.
The works council secured some compensation for affected employees, but the union has called it insufficient. Management stands accused of neglecting long-term investment in the site, contributing to its eventual closure. Meanwhile, the Tönnies Group is using a legal loophole in Germany’s Works Constitution Act to bypass mandatory severance obligations. Production of Eberswalder sausages will continue elsewhere, with the same recipes and quality controls in place. The union is now pushing for legislative changes to strengthen worker protections during plant closures.
The closure marks the end of an era for a facility that once dominated Europe’s meat-processing industry. While the brand will survive, 500 workers face job losses, and the union warns of broader implications for labour rights. The dispute has highlighted gaps in current laws governing severance and plant shutdowns.
