Solidarity with Antwerp!

The International Herald Tribune carried this story this morning. The Associated Press article mentions info about the May 3, 2007 European Action Day that is presented on this blog. They also included the internet address of this blog.

As public awareness of this innovative and informative blog grows exponentially, so grows the public feelings of outrage and disdain for the despicable GM Europe.

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General Motors plants across Europe protest job cuts at Antwerp

The Associated Press
Thursday, May 3, 2007
BRUSSELS, Belgium: General Motors plants across Europe protested Thursday at job cuts at the Opel car factory in the Belgian port city of Antwerp, European trade unions said.

The European Metalworkers' Federation and a group representing union representatives from GM plants said all the carmaker's factories in Europe were taking part in demonstrations — which includes work stoppages — starting in the morning.

The Opel plant in Antwerp is on strike until Tuesday to protest plans to lay off 1,400 workers and reduce production under company restructuring plans.

In a note published on the union's blog, the unions said there would be protests at Opel, Powertrain, Vauxhall, and IBC plants in Germany, France, Hungary, Sweden, Britain, Austria, Spain and Russia.

GM's three Polish factories would not take part only because May 3 is a national holiday, they said.

The Opel plant in Belgium, which employs 5,100 people, is facing a phaseout of production of the Astra model under plans announced by GM last month. The next generation of the Astra will be built at plants in Germany, Sweden, Poland and Britain.

The company said it would like to shift Antwerp's production to building 80,000 Chevrolet model cars, and possibly the production of another unspecified 60,000 cars of another model.

Unions, however, said they would demand higher production quotas to save jobs at the plant, which makes about 220,000 cars annually.

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On The Net:

GM Workers' Blog: http://www.gmworkersblog.com