German workers demonstrate against plans to have euros printed by foreign firms

Germany: protest against printing euros abroad

FRANKFURT, Germany — German workers on Tuesday protested against what their union says are plans by the country’s central bank to have euro banknotes printed by foreign companies.

Some 250 employees of the Bundesdruckerei, one of two German companies that currently produces the bills, demonstrated outside the Bundesbank headquarters in Frankfurt, the German news agency DAPD reported.

The ver.di service workers’ union says the Bundesbank put the printing out to tender and planned to give most of the work to French and Dutch printing works starting next year — with the Bundesdruckerei losing out and a second German company, Giesecke & Devrient, retaining only part of the euro assignment.

It says Germany’s antitrust agency is currently examining the plans after legal objections were raised.

The Bundesbank hasn’t commented on the plans and couldn’t immediately be reached on Tuesday.

Ver.di has said 180 jobs are at risk in Germany.