Opel Workers in Antwerp are Blocking the Gates
21 January 2010 - Today the Opel workforce in Antwerp (Belgium) was informed at a special meeting that the plant shall be closed by the end of June. The night before, the Opel workers had blocked the gates ”pre-emptively” after learning that Opel boss Nick Reilly had announced the closure to the European works councils. Behind the closed gates, several new cars are blocking the way: ”Nothing in, nothing out.” The Antwerp Opel workers are making clear that they are determined to fight for their jobs. ”No closing!” is their slogan.
Despite promises made in previous negotiations that there would be no plant closures, now Antwerp is supposed to be shut down immediately and further closures are being discussed. According to the January 21st ”WAZ” (regional newspaper) the Opel plants at Eisenach, Luton and Bochum are the next candidates.
The restructuring of the corporation in Europe in the interest of its international competitiveness is obviously supposed to be pushed through quickly and more ruthlessly. Time is pressing for GM which, within a few years, dropped from first in world raking to third place. The new Opel boss, Nick Reilly, stressed he would reduce the capacities in Western Europe drastically – by 20 percent.
This shows that all the agreements, all the papers, the chancellor’s promises, etc., had only one purpose: to keep the workers quiet. GM is now playing off the workforces against each other. That is why they are maintaining that the plant in Antwerp is technically outdated and that the production of the Opel Astra there is no longer profitable. By shifting the Astra production to Bochum, GM is trying to gain time dealing with that plant’s militant workforce. The Opel workers are supposed to be prevented from taking up the common struggle. In the words of the workers’ newssheet, “Blitz” (Lightning Bolt), on 4 November 2009: “Apparently GM management has respect for the determination of the workforce, which fought against management blackmail attempts and won vacation benefits, Christmas bonuses and wage hikes. Reilly knows that, if he openly attacks the workers, he would be provoking a European-wide struggle. GM wants to prevent that at all costs.”
On Wednesday evening the closure and the blockade at the gates was the topic of conversation among workers at Bochum. The workers there are coming to grips with Opel’s subliminally nurtured hope that the closure in Antwerp would be to the "advantage" of the people at Bochum. The blockade of the gates In Antwerp is continuing. Workers are spreading the news of the struggle of the Antwerp workers for their jobs to other factories and trade unions in an effort to build solidarity.
Within the Opel enterprise workers must demand:
The closure of Opel Antwerp must by rescinded!
Fight for each and every job!
For the 30-hour work week with full wage compensation, company-wide!
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