EUROPEAN COOPERATION WORKS!!! SUCCESSFULL ACTION IN PRESSSHOP!!!

We allready knew that GM wanted to relocate a die to a subcontracter before going to Poland.
As ABVV trade union we said to Belgian and European management from the beginning that this was unacceptable for us unless there would be other dies or investments for the Antwerp Press Shop!
This week we negotiated with our EEF Chairman Klaus Franz and the Works Council members of Rüsselsheim about the possibilities to solve this problem.
In Rüsselsheim GM wanted to free up people because they were needed to start the productionactivities for the Opel Insigna. In order to do so GM management wanted to send out dies to subcontractors. Our comrades in Rüsselsheim responded that they could accept this only under the condition that these dies would go to another GM Plant (Antwerp, Bochum, Zaragoza, Trollhattan etc...)
During our local negotiation talks aswell with a local leaflet we informed the management and the Press Shop people we wouls start a blokkade if they tried to take away the die.
Fridaymorning we negotiated further during this blokkade and Mr Reinald Hoben (Executive Director GM Manufacturing Europe) ensured that 1 die for TR1 and 2 dies for TR2 will come asap to Antwerp. This investment is very important for Antwerp and it could be possible that the possible future looks a bit better. We as trade unions will keep on looking for further opportunities for more work and volume for Press shop.
Hereby, in the name of our Antwerp Press Shop colleages,
I want to thank the Works Council members of Rüsselsheim, IG Metall and specially Klaus Franz for all the effort they put into this.
European Trade Union coöperation works and ... fighting back makes a difference !!!
In Solidarity,
Rudi