Without Pay Since May, 150 Workers at Halberstadt Canning Company Face Collapse Amid Allegations of Financial Misconduct
01.07.2026 - 11:05:09 | boerse-global.de
The Halberstädter Konserven GmbH, known as Halko, has collapsed into insolvency. But for the roughly 150 employees who have not seen a paycheck since May, the crisis is personal. The company’s production line sits idle, and an escalating standoff between workers and management is now drawing regional attention.
Union Demands Immediate Intervention
The works council accuses the management of questionable financial maneuvers that have left staff in dire straits. “Many employees have no financial resources left at all,” said Jens Fischer, the council chairman. The food workers’ union NGG has called for the swift securing of the workers’ claims for May wages.
On June 29, the company held an information session for employees to explain the procedural status and their legal entitlements. Yet insolvency payments have not been made, deepening the sense of betrayal.
A Traditional Brand at Risk
Rising costs and a shrinking market pushed Halko into trouble even before the formal insolvency proceedings opened at the Magdeburg district court. Retailers have already delisted the company’s products, and a continuation of the site is considered unlikely. The plant is expected to be closed. The owning family is searching for a buyer, but concrete results remain absent.
A Broader Wave of Insolvencies in Central Germany
Halko is not an isolated case. At the end of June, Leuna Polyamid GmbH filed for insolvency under self-administration, putting over 400 jobs at risk after raw-material prices surged following a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Other recent closures in the region include:
- Sömmerda: The Bohai plant will shut down by the end of November 2026, eliminating roughly 100 positions.
- Leisnig: Germany’s largest tile factory has halted production; new owners hope to restart it in 2027.
- Herford: A brewery site is set to close at the end of August 2026, while a buyer is being sought for the Paderborn facility.
For the 150 Halko workers, uncertainty persists. As long as the accusations leveled by the works council remain unresolved and the insolvency-payment funding is not secured, they remain suspended in limbo.
