Against Renault's mass dismissals, all support from International Automotive Workers Coordination for workers on strike in Brazil!
On Friday (17), the company informed the closing of the third shift and the opening of a Voluntary Layoff Plan, then rejected by the workers, who demanded the opening of a negotiation process. However, on Tuesday (21), the company decided unilaterally by the cuts, granting paid leave to all employees to readjust the plant for work in two shifts.
This has been a tactic adopted by the company throughout the world, which uses as an excuse the current moment of health crisis caused by Covid-19. But the truth is that this is an ever-present plan. In Brazil and in other countries, layoffs have been put in the spotlight of the current pandemic, but it is known to be the consequence of other plans, such as the need for some of the plants, especially in Europe, to operate more intensely in the production of electric cars. In May of this year, the automotive company informed by a statement that the planned layoffs would be "in line with the cost reduction project announced by the Renault Group in May, valid for the whole world". Of the 15 thousand jobs that the automotive company intends to cut (8% of the total number of employees in the world), more than 4 thousand are jobs located in France, the company's headquarters country.
In Brazil, the mass dismissal occurs despite the company's tax incentive programs obtained from the state government in recent years, as well as after making agreements based on MP 936 of the government of Jair Bolsonaro, which allows salary reduction.The French automotive company, which has been suffering instability for a period and was involved in scandals involving the executive Carlos Ghosn accused of misconduct in the company's financial sector in 2018, presented its cutting plan shortly after its partner Nissan announced its first losses in a decade.
Workers cannot pay for any kind of crisis just so that big corporations keep making exorbitant profits year after year!
Moreover, any new production structure, such as that of electric cars for example, should not result in mass layoffs. And against this attack, no slogan in defense of the environment is acceptable. The ICOG stands by and supports the demand for an end to layoffs and constant threats against automotive workers worldwide!
2nd International Automotive Workers Coference in South Africa in February 2020 has adopted an International Program of Struggle which sets as a main demand the reduction of working hours for the 30-hour week with full wage compensation.
It is necessary to strengthen the struggles, with internationalism and attitude, against these attacks on the working class.
With solidarity greetings
Ed Cubelo (Philippines), Dieter Schweizer (Germany), Coordinators of ICOG
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