Day of action against GM job cuts
Thousands of General Motors (GM) workers took part in a European day of action in October 2004 in protest against company plans to reduce its European workforce in order to make significant cost savings.
On 19 October 2004, tens of thousands of General Motors (GM) workers participated in meetings and protests across Europe, staged to express their opposition to the US-based auto company's plans to cut 12,000 jobs and EUR 483.6 million (USD 618 million) of costs in Europe - at the end of 2003, GM employed some 63,000 people at 11 plants in Europe. The countries involved included Belgium, Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. In addition, the action was supported by workers in Brazil, who also agreed to stop any extra production that could be exported to Europe and harm the Europe-wide workers’ action.
In most of the participating countries, the day of action - organised by the European Metalworkers' Federation and the GM European Works Council - consisted of a series of meetings held across the various shifts at GM plants, giving workers an opportunity to find out more about the company’s proposals and consult with their unions. It highlighted the unions’ message of 'unity in solidarity and solidarity in unity', and the following five central demands to GM:
- no plant closures;
- no forced redundancies;
- a sustainable European brand and sales offensive to be developed and implemented by 'properly qualified management';
- the establishment of requirements and future perspectives for the Opel, Vauxhall and Saab brands; and
- no violation of collective agreements.
Workers at Bochum, in northwest Germany, had been on strike since the company’s announcement of its plans on 14 October, which also stated that many of the job cuts were to take place in Germany. Their action affected work at other plants in Germany, Belgium and the UK and meant that, on the day of action, production was already slower than usual. The Bochum workers voted to return to work on 20 October, after the company gave them assurances that it would make every effort to avoid compulsory redundancies and preserve German production sites.
Since the day of action, the talks with GM Europe have been continuing, with workers and national governments reportedly placing pressure on the company to find socially acceptable solutions that have been negotiated with unions and worker representatives.