Ford Valencia Spain: Call for solidarity against repression

10 May 2023: Colleagues write to the International automotive workers' coordination asking for solidarity against the repression they suffer. "As you know, at Ford Valencia we are immersed in a collective dismissal (ERE) for more than 1,100 colleagues. We (STM) did not sign that ERE for various reasons, but mainly because it was not guaranteed that there would not be a single traumatic exit. Time is proving us right and the company, with the complicity of its servile union, is using absolutely mafia tactics so that people are forced to take advantage of incentivized redundancies (much cheaper than "early retirement").

Added to all this is tremendous union persecution of the STM, which, for example, materializes in the fact that in the last 4 months we have had 4 delegates filed with very serious misconduct and two affiliates (who were in high positions on the electoral list and were to leave as delegates of the committee, by covering the losses of the delegates who will now presumably "retire early") who have opened a file for very serious misconduct and those who have said that "either you take advantage of the ERE or dismissal due to quality failures ".

Keep in mind that they destroy the lives of these colleagues and on top of that they are forced to go to the ERE since the economic conditions of the ERE are much better than the possible compensation for unfair dismissal (in the ERE it guarantees you a minimum of 40,000 euros, in addition of 45 days per year worked -guaranteeing at least one year of salary, in addition to the 40,000 that I said before-) and the unfair dismissal is 33 days per year and you do not have the 40,000 bonus.

Because we are convinced that it is very possible to win the null dismissal, given that they were in high positions on the list and were also going to come out as delegates, but we cannot give the absolute guarantee to anyone. And, furthermore, if he is fired and decides to fight (not taking advantage of the ERE) he would spend time without getting paid.

After the 2019 elections we already suffered, in just a year and a half, some 8 layoffs and four employment and salary sanctions (then we barely had 90 affiliates. And now in 2023, barely 46 affiliates per payroll).

Given the size of the repression of our delegates and affiliates, and also due to pressure, blackmail and threats to the staff to make them take advantage of the incentivized redundancies, we have decided to start a mobilizing campaign in response to the Management and mafia union.

Our legal services, yesterday, already filed a complaint with the Labor Inspectorate, and we will go to all administrative and judicial instances that are necessary. And of course, the mobilizations that we consider. This morning we already held a press conference, next week a concentration of delegates and, at the end of the month, a demonstration together with political forces and other unions.

As you will see, the situation is very serious.

The campaign that we are starting now will be long and hard, for this reason we would appreciate it if you would send us a note, and/or video, of support and solidarity against the harassment and repression of the combative trade unionism represented by the Valencian STM-Intersindical, and that today It is already the only union alternative to the yellow and pro-company unionism of the UGT, after the last union elections in which the CGT and CCOO unions disappeared.

Thank you for your internationalist solidarity."

 

Note: Please send letters of solidarity to be forwarded to the colleagues of the STM to contact@iawc.info

 

Document Actions