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Because the quick grief and anger in regards to the deliberate closure of Ford’s long-standing plant in Saarlouis subsides, it’s critical to drawn classes from the experiences of the final years, and the final six months particularly. The roles should not but misplaced, however a combat have to be initiated now. However that’s precisely what administration, the works council, IG Metall union and the Social Democratic Occasion (SPD) state authorities need to forestall.
When Ford introduced on Wednesday that it will produce its future electrical fashions in Valencia and never in Saarlouis, the 4,600 Saarlouis staff reacted with anger and indignation. Nevertheless, the works council regards its foremost job as to not defend the roles on the plant however solely to make sure manufacturing continues easily till 2025, and guaranteeing the orderly winding down of the plant till then.
That’s the backside line, each from the works assembly, which ran from 7:30 a.m. to just about 2 p.m. Thursday, and from the quite a few press interviews Works Council Chairman Markus Thal has been giving seemingly continuous since Wednesday.
On Thursday morning, even earlier than the works assembly started, administration had unfold the assertion from Ford’s European boss Stuart Rowley, by which he made all types of empty guarantees to his “colleagues.” Ford, he stated, was engaged on “concrete alternate options,” together with components manufacturing for Ford or recycling batteries or electrical autos, promoting the plant to different firms, together with different automakers, and “enterprise actions in partnership with the federal government of the Saarland.” All of that is scorching air. A employee from the rank-and-file Ford Motion Committee instantly denounced all of the proposals made by Ford amounted to “cheap-wage work.”
On the conclusion of the works assembly, the works council introduced in Minister President Anke Rehlinger (SPD) by video as she learn her official assertion within the state parliament. Ford Europe chief Stuart Rowley had already introduced that Ford was “set[ing] up a job pressure that may concretize the above-mentioned choices along with the Saarland state authorities,” she stated.
Rehlinger herself criticized the eventualities introduced by Ford as being too imprecise. However she supplied nothing extra concrete both. She demanded that Ford give you “its personal concepts and proposals” on how “the best attainable variety of jobs may be secured on the website past 2025.” For workers, the state wished to arrange “a central contact level with all vital info” on the state-owned “transformation firm.”
Auto staff have been to be empowered via “expertise improvement and coaching.” The state authorities was additionally contemplating shopping for the land presently owned by Ford. In order that “there may be additionally the chance that new, future-proof jobs may be created promptly on the present Ford website,” Rehlinger stated.
In her speech, she additionally repeated the narrative developed by the works council and IG Metall, that they’d been deceived by the corporate. Rehlinger described the inner bidding struggle between the Saarlouis plant and its Spanish counterpart in Valencia as unfair and tacky. There isn’t any query that this was the case, nevertheless it was not simply the corporate, but additionally the works council and union which are chargeable for pitting Ford staff towards one another.
For six months, they sat down twice per week with Ford’s prime administration in Cologne and mentioned how they might push down wage prices to the purpose the place they’d even be decrease than these in Spain. They have been ready to sacrifice staff’ jobs in any respect the opposite German websites, particularly the just about 19,000 workers on the Cologne headquarters, in making these cuts. And the works council in Valencia acted in the identical manner. Employees there’ll now additionally must face job losses, wage reductions and worsening working circumstances.
On the works assembly, Thal had stated that the Saarlouis supply was €1.4 billion higher than the Spanish one. Members of the Ford Motion Committee have instructed the WSWS that they wish to know via what huge sacrifices on the a part of the works council this determine was arrived at. As a result of the cuts supplied to Ford in Saarlouis should embody the €1.4 billion in cuts on prime of the €1 billion contained within the Spanish supply.
Each Thal and different works council and IG Metall representatives on the works assembly additionally tried to fob off staff with imprecise guarantees and a “social collective settlement” that has but to be labored out. In an interview with sol.de, Thal stated he was “firmly satisfied” that issues would “one way or the other proceed” in Saarlouis after 2025. Someway! Whereas the way forward for the workforce is unsure, one factor is definite: no IG Metall works council consultant will fall into the abyss. They may take pleasure in a comfortable touchdown.
The soporifics and empty guarantees are supposed to steer staff to maintain quiet. Whereas the company is utilizing unfair and tacky strategies to unscrupulously assert its pursuits, staff are presupposed to calmly and quietly give up to the destiny decided by the company and works council.
Employees have been visibly affected following the works assembly. On Wednesday, they’d heard in regards to the finish of their plant and have been very fearful about themselves and their households’ future. On Thursday, their worries have been additional heightened by the works council. Many staff discovered it laborious to speak in regards to the assembly or make statements, or solely with problem. Particularly, older staff with whom the WSWS spoke instantly after the works assembly, have been visibly very upset and typically near tears. One, who had labored at Ford for 35 years, stated, “My coronary heart bleeds!”
The preliminary disappointment and dejection are comprehensible. However the time to combat again is now, in any other case staff will face the closure of the plant and be fobbed off with “switch firms” and, at finest, lower-paying alternative jobs.
It is attainable to defend the plant and the roles, however that requires a break with the unions, the works council and the federal government, all of that are solely fascinated by preserving staff docile whereas they arrange the liquidation of the manufacturing unit. The allies of staff at Ford Saarlouis are staff all around the world who’re resisting company and authorities assaults all over the place.
Close to Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, greater than 1,500 Ford staff have been on strike for greater than 4 weeks. In September final 12 months, Ford had introduced it will stop operations in India and shut its Chennai plant, which employs 4,000, and one other within the state of Gujarat.
Indian staff, too, confront a conspiracy by administration and the commerce unions. As a result of 1,400 automobiles are nonetheless awaiting completion, Ford has tried to make use of strikebreakers, elevated its severance pay supply and already twice postponed the ultimatum to implement obligatory redundancies.
The Indian unions have solely belatedly claimed help for the strike, which was initiated by younger staff. And so they did so solely to have the ability to stall it in negotiations the place they’re solely advocating increased severance pay. In the meantime, the unions are categorically rejecting an extension of the strike to the opposite Ford plant or different factories within the area.
Ford staff in India have a terrific curiosity in organising independently and establishing worldwide collaboration. They’ve already mentioned on-line with colleagues within the US and are eager to trade concepts with German Ford staff.
With a view to defend the Saarlouis plant and jobs, Ford staff in Germany should additionally seize the initiative. The works council and IG Metall are simply as prepared as their Indian counterparts to push via the closure of the plant. Ford staff should unite independently and internationally. Contact the Ford Motion Committee by sending a Whatsapp message to +491633378340.
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