Nokia Leaves Bochum

On 15 January 2008, Nokia announced that it would close its mobile phone plant in Bochum and move production to Romania. About 2,000 of some 2,300 permanent employees lost their jobs, and about 800 temporary workers were also affected. The site had received 88 million euros in public subsidies. Peter Struck, head of the SPD group in the Bundestag, called Nokia’s conduct unanständig, indecent. The premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Jürgen Rüttgers, warned Nokia against acquiring the image of a Subventions-Heuschrecke, a subsidy locust. SPD leader Kurt Beck spoke of caravan capitalism. Politicians of all parties called for a boycott of Nokia phones. According to the magazine Capital, Nokia’s market share in Germany fell by eight percent between January and July 2008. The new plant in Romania closed in 2011.

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