Charter of Solidarity for Workers of GM PSA / FCA

(Started at the 5th international Automotive Workers' Counsel 2007, enlarged 2012 and 2020) We, the delegates and unions at plants of GM, PSA and FCA, we declare: We fight against the violation of workers' rights, destruction of jobs and against working conditions that damage our health and livelihood. The lack of rights is carried to extremes by contract work worldwide. We do not agree with „any job“ and we won't sell our working places. Our youth needs for their future working places with decent conditions. Young and old together are responsable for the future of the youth. Therefore we fight for every job!

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We have important experiences in the struggle: In the USA, in Bochum, in Colombia, in Antwerp … Worldwide we work closely together in a common production network. We have realized: We are strong, when we surmount the split between us. Within the workforce, this means: Temoprary workers, contract workers, workers in outsourced areas and at suppliers, the core-workforce – all workers and unemployed together!

 

Internationally we must go ahead beyond borders and in the whole group.

Local treaties that push us into competition against each other are the wrong way. Solidarity does not mean sharing the pain but to fight united and upright. We will never more accept blackmailing! We autoworkers want to introduce our unity in order to start the offensive as workers worldwide. We realize our great responsability for the international workers' offensive.

 

It is perverse, when companies talk about redundant plants and workers while mankind is screaming for environment-friendly traffic systems. For this we would be glad to insert our skills for development and production.

 

We demand:

* Equal salary for equal work worldwide!

* For a general, complete and legal right to strike internationally!

* For shorter working time with full compensation of wages worldwide until the 6-hours-day!

* Free political and trade union activity inside the plants!

* Transformation of contract work into regular jobs!

 

All this has to be fought for. We will nor prevail always at once, but finally we will. Therefore we need and defend strong unions above party lines that unite workers and we contribute to this by an active positive trade union work. We fight for our trade union rights and protest against all kind of oppression, of political dismissals and against persecution and killing of unionists like in Colombia. One for all – all for one! This is today more urgent than ever and it aims to the future. We develop actively a broad discussion on how to achieve a society in solidarity, free from exploitation and oppression.

 

What we work for:

* We inform each other about our situation and our struggles and publish this among the workers. We organize a broad debate in our respective workforce in order to compete with any kind of splitting, competing or demoralizing mode of thinking. We will not accept any treaty at the expense of the workforce in other countries.

* We organize solidarity in practice and won't let us misuse for breaking strikes.

* We will jointly support any colleague who ist hit by repression.

* We support each other in different ways across borders: Materially, morally, by solidarity actions until the future forms of struggle: Joint coordinated international days of struggle in the group, mass demonstrations and group-wide strikes.

 

In all our plants and unions we will spread this Charta and win more supporters. Time is ripe to surmount borders: Borders of sites, of countries or the border of powerlessness – let us fight, commonly hand in hand!

 

Signees come from:

 

Belgium - Delegation of the automotive workers' council from the GM plant Antwerp/Belgium

Brazil - Sindicato dos Metalurgicos de Sao José dos Campos e Regiao, Brazil

Germany - Activists of the colleague newspaper Blitz as well as staff members of Opel from Rüsselsheim, Bochum and Eisenach and of Johnson Controls Bochum

France - Delegation from PSA Aulnay and Vincent Duse, CGT PSA Mulhouse

India - Gautam Mody NTUI (New Trade Union Initiative India) and Nihil Mehta, Chairman of the Gujarat Kamdar Mandal trade union (Halol plant)

Colombia - Sindicato Sintraime Seccional Bogota (Sintraime Bogota Trade Union) and the SintraGMCol Trade Union

Poland - Trade union "August 80" from the Opel plant in Gliwice

Russia - Delegation of the Trade Union of GM St. Petersburg and GM - AvtoVAZ Local of Interregional Autoworkers Trade Union - Andrey Lyapin

Spain - CGT - Confederation General del Trabajo - Opel Zaragoza and PSA Madrid

Hungary - Lazslo Kiss, Trade Union President Suzuki Esztergom

USA - Larry Goldbetter UAW Local 1981 and Frank Hammer, UAW Detroit and Autoworkers Caravan

Venezuela - Delegation from GM Valencia plant and Sintra trade union

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