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Situation in the European Automotive Industry
Following the announcements made by PSA and Ford Europe, industriAll Europe and its Automotive Committee firmly condemned the planned plant closures and declared its full solidarity with the workers concerned.
The closures announced by PSA and Ford Europe in recent weeks show that there is no willingness on the part of the employers to use slack production periods for new projects and activities.
It is obvious that the level of the European market is abnormal and that it is curbed by two factors: manufacturers wanting to increase their profits and an unprecedented fall in the purchasing power and living standards of European workers.
Against this background, it is in everyone’s interest not to reduce our capacity to take part in any future economic recovery: the experienced and skilled workers who leave the industry today will no longer be available to produce the cars needed for tomorrow.
Further, in opting for a purely financial strategy, there is no evidence of any industrial policy rationale behind these reductions in production capacity. This in no way contributes to preparing the industry for the challenges of future mobility and market recovery.
Looking beyond the industrial aspects, the current situation confirms our fears with regard to European policy. Going back on collective agreements, introducing wage cuts and reducing workers’ rights will inevitably lead us towards an even deeper and longer-lasting crisis. This policy will also lead to even keener competition between peoples and States and a sharp rise in nationalism and isolationism.
Some manufacturers have highlighted difficulties for which their workers are in no way responsible in order to justify their unilateral decisions. In reality, we see that the financial results continue to indicate rewards reaped by contented shareholders, who are always spared when it comes to the subject of cost-cutting.
Workers’ Europe needs solidarity and political and strategic decisions by multinational companies that put the emphasis on employment, wages, skills and working conditions.
To this end, industriAll Europe, together with its Automotive Committee, will support the workforces of Ford and PSA Europe, their subcontractors and suppliers.
The European Trade Union Confederation is proposing a Social Compact for Europe to address the social deficits of the European Union that we clearly see today. It has called for a European Action Day on 14 November 2012. We fully support this initiative because the situation in the automotive sector shows just how pertinent this proposal is.
Source: industriAll
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16/2012
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