The protest at the Thyssenkrupp steel headquarters in Duisburg comes after weeks of uncertainty over whether Berlin will honour its commitment to co-finance the so-called direct reduced iron (DRI) plant.
"The federal government's indecision is life-threatening and not only for Thyssenkrupp Steel," said Jurgen Kerner, a member of the IG Metall union and vice chairman of the Thyssenkrupp supervisory board.
The German economy ministry, headed by Robert Habeck, has pledged support for the project in the past but is now considering reducing the amount of aid, according to a 1 June memo.
The government is expected to add at least €1 billion ($1.1 billion) to the funds for the DRI plant, which would drastically reduce emissions from steelmaking, one of the most carbon-intensive industrial production methods, the sources said.
The DRI investment will be among the issues to be discussed at a supervisory board meeting scheduled for 23 June, according to people familiar with the matter. Labour representatives have threatened that the investment decision could be withdrawn.
The German Ministry of Economics did not immediately comment. It recently stated that it continues to support the project, but is awaiting state aid approval from the European Commission.
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