International Automotive Workers Coordination International Information Letter GM-Stellantis No. 23 - October 2023 From the Stellantis/GM Group Coordination in the IAC.

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In view of these challenges, we would like to inform you about a very important positive development: At the beginning of September, the First World Congress of the international anti-imperialist united front against fascism, war and environmental destruction took place. So far, more than 120 organizations and 27 personalities from four continents have participated, including the anti-imperialist platform in the International Automobile Workers' Coordination. The call of the united front states, "The workers of all countries will then become a superior force when they unite." Representatives of the Automobile Workers Coordination from South Africa, India, the Philippines and Germany, among others, were active at the conference. The building of the international united front broadens and deepens our cooperation. Also very important was the close connection with the militant miners' movement, which held its Third International Miners' Conference immediately before the World Congress. They decided to organize the coordination of their struggles in a binding way: "No struggle should stand alone anymore!"The connection of auto workers and miners strengthens the power for the urgently needed perspective of a society without exploitation and oppression, beyond capitalism. More information is available at www.united-front.info. For us, membership in the international united front means an obligation to get serious about coordination and cooperation in our struggles. The current focus is the significant strike in the U.S. at the three major auto companies, Ford, GM and Stellantis, for which we are organizing worldwide solidarity. Excerpts from the International Auto Workers Coordination solidarity message:

Solidarity greetings to the United Auto Workers, UAW, on your "historic strike."

Dear Shawn Fain, Fellow UAW members, It is with great respect that international media are reporting the start of your "historic strike." Your demands for a 40 percent wage increase, for the reinstatement of eliminated social benefits, and for a 32-hour work week, 4 days a week, are just and long overdue. (...) The International Automobile Workers Coordination congratulates you on your promising strike and stands with you in your struggle. Good luck with your strike, in the spirit of the slogan "Whoever fights can win. But those who do not fight have already lost!"

Please send statements of solidarity to: Shawn Fain Sfain@uaw.net, Margaret Mock Mmock@uaw.net, UAWD UAWdemocracy@gmail.com. Copy to: icog@iawc.info

A colleague responds, "I participated in the 2012 International Automotive Workers Council with Frank Hammer in Munich. I am still active and participating in the strike here in Toledo, Ohio at the Stellantis Jeep factory. After 46 years as a Jeep worker, this is the first official strike I have participated in. The last official strike was in 1972. We have strong public support with about 75% of Americans supporting our struggle. We will win."

Meanwhile, the UAW has expanded the strike. In the third week of the strike, 25,000 workers are involved. It is now important that we spread the word about the strike throughout the auto plants. We have pledged in our Solidarity Charter to prevent any strikebreaking work and must ensure that this happens. Consult with your colleagues solidarity messages. Where there is an opportunity, we work towards solidarity strikes and spread the idea of common struggle against the international corporations in labor disputes in our countries. For example, there will be a day of action against the consequences of inflation in France on Oct. 13 and a general strike by grassroots unions in Italy on Oct. 20. The colleagues of PSA, Fiat or suppliers are in the fight against the same Stellantis corporation that is on strike in the USA at Jeep and Chrysler. Already on 18.9.23 in Melfi / Italy about 900 workers of of Fiat / Stellantis went on strike in Melfi / Italy to get promises for the future of the plant.

From Germany it is reported: "For one and a half years, the number of temporary workers in the Rüsselsheim plant has increased to 1,000 in the meantime. (...) On July 6, 200 colleagues gathered in the assembly hall during the big break. At the beginning of the break meeting, solidarity greetings to the workforces of the Stellantis plants in Vienna-Aspern, Ellesmere Port and to the Ford workforce in Saarlouis were decided: "Today we are not Opelans or temporary workers, today we are a workforce in a company working worldwide. Today we are workers, internationally!" Then they walked through the hall and demanded clear commitments from the plant manager for the takeover. This action caused a lot of anxiety and fear in the management. That same day, Stellantis pledged 50 permanent and another 100 temporary takeovers at Opel. A bitter defeat for Tavarez' course of rigorous job destruction at Stellantis, a success for the workforce. (...) A militant trade unionist received a warning for allegedly disturbing industrial peace. Our full solidarity belongs to the warned colleague!!!"

Our colleagues from India report: "Talegaon-based multinational General Motors has received permission from the Maharashtra state government to shut down. Now Hyundai Motors, a Korean company, will open its plant on the General Motors site. General Motors and the General Motors Employees Union have tried to keep all the jobs of the employees or regroup them in the new company. But the company does not accept this. (...) To protest these things and start a movement, Shramik Ekta Mahasanghan (SEM) and Maharashtra State Workers' Joint Action Committee organized a meeting of workers at Ramakrishna More Auditorium in Chinchwad Pune on August 19. At the meeting, they all expressed their support for the demands of General Motors workers and warned of mass protests." After failing to meet demands to Hyundai and the state government that all workers at the former GM plant be taken on the previous terms, 1000 workers and their families began an indefinite "relay hunger strike" on Oct. 2. Solidarity messages to the Indian colleagues are being forwarded via icog@iawc.info. As always, you can find more information at www.automotiveworkers.org.

With solidarity greetings,

Verena, Frank and Fritz