European Fight Training - Delegation of Rüsselsheim went to Antwerpen for an Solidarity-Visit
From March 4th to March 5th, a bus of IG Metall Darmstadt went to the plant in Antwerpen from plant in Rüsselsheim, with a delegation of people with vote of confidence, to find some information about the situation of the delta-platform and to express our solidarity with them.
We staid in the training centre of the Christian union, at Elewijet, where we had an interesting discussion with Rudi Kennes (social union ABVV Metaal), the vice president of the EEF. He informed us about the structures of the belgiam union, how they work and how they are organized.
The following morning, the delegation went to the GM company of Antwerpen, to find a way to talk directly to the workers up there and on the way of visiting the company, we had a lot of chances, to talk with them. We were very impressed by our belgium colleagues’, who wanted to join us, because they thought we wanted to start a strike!!
At all we were very impressed, how fast the news of our visit spread all over Europe!!! Right that shows us very clearly, how easy it was to attack the management and how vulnerable they are!!! And it is abrious what a good long distant effect this kind of solidarity visit has, even if we are such a small group of only 28 people.
We caused the same interested in the media too, they had been waiting for us when we arrived and when we left there were even more reporters and camera teams waiting!!!
Beside talking to the workers, we also had discussions about the delta-platform companies of Europe with different representatives of union in Antwerpen.
The plant in Antwerpen is working to full capacity and is the only one outside Germany which is chalking up profits, which contribute directly to the operative result of Adam Opel GmbH. The unions have been negotiating with the management for more than a year, but no result has been achieved yet, as the unions keep all arrangements of EEF and of Delta Group and reject any association with the management's catalogue of horrors!!
Only the management of GM Antwerpen refused to understand our visit. When Rudi Kennes was asked, he answered that it was a "European fight training"!!!
We will be active in the future, too; further visits are already being planned. Should the circumstances require such, our "European fight training" will be much more creative, much more active!!
Always together, of course, WITH Europe and IN Europe!!!!!
Frank Mittelstädt
Some pictures:
Colleagues from Rüsselsheimer at the plant-visit
Colleagues in discussion with each other
The press is very interested in whats going on there
Group-picture
