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Philippines: December 21, 10 am - Global Day of Action for the immediate release of the HR DAY7 and All Political Prisoners
19 December: On International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2020, simultaneous raids were conducted by the Philippine National Police in homes and offices of six trade union organizers and a journalist in Metro Manila, Philippines. With search warrants issued by a City Executive Judge, the police forcibly entered their homes and offices, planted “evidence” against them, and arrested and detained them on fabricated charges.
Immediate release of the arrested trade union leaders and journalist in the Philippines ! Free HR DAY7 !
16 December: At 2 a.m. on the night of December 10, International Human Rights Day, 6 trade union leaders and organizers and a journalist from the international media were arrested at home in several cities in the Philippines. Their homes were searched by state police and alleged evidence of several firearms and grenades were presented. They are now charged as a "criminal gang." Two of them who were illegally arrested are legitimate officials of the trade union KMU-NCR (Kilusang Mayo Uno - Capital Region) and members of the Regional Executive Committee, which was recently re-elected on November 29 at the 4th Congress of the KMU. Romina Raiselle Astudillo was elected as the new Deputy Secretary General. Mark Ryan Cruz was elected to the Committee At-Large. Jaymie Gregorio is a union organizer of KMU-Manila; Joel Demate is a union organizer of the Alliance Solidarity of Labor for Rights and Welfare, Rodrigo Esparago is a union organizer of the Alliance Solidarity of Workers of Quezon City, Dennise Velasco the organizer of Defend Jobs Philippines, and Lady Ann Salem a journalist of the international media.
Workers protest from “Bahman Motor Factory” - Will Be Revealed
15 December 2020: Documented from AWNI No. 127: Workers of “Bahman Motor Factory” on Thursday, November 29th and On Monday, November 23rd, they stopped working to protest their failure to fulfil their demands. And they were supposed to go on strike again on Thursday, December 3rd, when they failed to strike due to the high pressure of the company's security, but they are still insisting on their demands to strike next week.
Warm solidary and internationalistic greetings from International Automotive Workers‘ Coordination to all participants of All India General Strike on 26 November 2020
26 November: Dear colleagues and supporters of All India General Strike, the powerful mobilization and broad participation in your nationwide strike is fully justified. Indian working class and the masses of the people are challenged to oppose the attacks of Modi Government on labour laws, basic workers and union rights, as well as to reject a destructive anti-farmer policy.
Solidarity message from ICOG to employees of GM Korea
17 November 2020: Dear colleagues of GM Korea, We are backing your just struggle for a new CBA (Collective bargaining agreement). Your strikes demonstrate the power of the workers. Not a wage freeze which GM management is planning, but an increase of the salaries, especially of the basic wage, is necessary for the workers and their families. Do not let yourselves be blackmailed by the management, when they are threatening to refuse planned investments in the Bupyeong plant. We wish you power and success in your struggle. Learning that employees of Renault-Samsung and Kia are same time in negotiations for higher salaries a combined struggle could strengthen your power and unity of the workers. Automotive Workers worldwide unite!
Karnataka government in India bans strike at Toyota Kirloskar engine plant and calls on management to lift lockout
On November 17, 2020, the government of Karnataka banned the strike that had been going on since November 10 at the Toyota engine plant in Bidadi. At the same time, after talks with management and union representatives, Toyota was ordered to end the lockout of the workers and to resolve the conflict with talks.
International Day of Environmental Struggle 2020: Workers' and environmental movement together against the destruction of the natural environment !
The corona pandemic, which has intensified the world economic and financial crisis, dominates world events. This has not at all weakened the transition to a worldwide environmental catastrophe. On the contrary, the CO² content of the atmosphere continues to rise, the clearing of the rain forests was also even accelerated by the proto-fascist Bolsonaro government in Brazil. Due to the melting of Antarctic ice shields and the Greenland ice, the sea level is expected to rise by one meter in 2100. In March, the largest ozone hole ever developed over the Arctic. Littering of the oceans, extinction of species and the time bomb of nuclear power plants are further factors. Millions of people worldwide are affected by floods, forest fires and catastrophic droughts. The destruction of livelihoods has become a major factor in the rise of the global refugee movement to over 80 million people.
Philippines: MWAP calls on two semicon companies to sign meaningful CBAs
“Don’t use the pandemic to shortchange the workers.” This was the statement of Julius Carandang, spokesperson of Metal Workers Alliance of the Philippines as the group called on two semiconductor companies, Nexperia and Fuji, to sign meaningful collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). “Now is not the time for companies to delay CBA negotiations or offer measly CBA packages. Workers are bravely facing health risks each time they work in the factory during this pandemic. Nexperia and Fuji management should recognize the sacrifice of their workers and speedily conclude an agreement with the union that will include just benefits and meaningful provisions,” Carandang said.
Iran: Unemployment status of automobile workers and parts makers
Documented from Alternative Workers News Iran No.124 1 November 2020: One third of the part manufacturers of the country are close or partially open and 150 thousand workers are suspended at work. There are around 2-thousand-part manufacturer units in the country, from which 800 units of them work black and without authorization. From the lawful 1200 part-fabricators, almost 700 units have direct contacts with the auto manufacturers. Unfortunately, about 400 units are in the process of closing down. In general, at this time, only half of the part-fabricator functions serviceably. While only half of them fully operate, however all produced parts are easily sold in the country. There are 550 thousand workers in part making craft that more than 150 thousands of them are unemployed and on hold now. The Union of Nationwide Associations of Truck owners and drivers in Iran
Automotive workers are fighting against mass layoffs internationally
Rode Morgen from Netherlands: The automobile workers are at the forefront of the international working class struggle. This was evident, for example, in Brazil, where an indefinite strike at Renault in July resulted in 747 colleagues not being fired. And at Nissan in Barcelona, where a strike lasting nearly 100 days prevented the plant from closing. In Germany, colleagues at Daimler are currently fighting against announced mass layoffs. Daimler (Mercedes) wants to close factories in Germany with 2500 workers in Berlin and 4000 in Stuttgart and have production done elsewhere for lower wages.
Correspondence from East London South Africa on situation at Mercedes-Benz
Dear comrades, our situation (amid Coronavirus Pandemic) has not improved as such, there are even talks about getting back to stricter levels such as level 5, especially in our Province in the Eastern Cape where we are situated. ... We too in South Africa experience serious attacks on our jobs in the car and supplier industry. The number of jobs in the Automotive Industry in RSA (Republic of South Africa) are 66,000 jobs in the motor industry. 19,800 jobs are estimated to be about to be lost.
Automobile Workers strike in Tabriz
Iran Khodro workers in Tabriz went on strike on 9 October. Workers demand the payment of their arrears. It has not been seen in any country that the workers do not receive their salaries after work they have done. In any slavery system of capitalism workers are being exploited. Everywhere workers have to work and capitalists pay them a small part of what they produce in order to be able to continue working. But in Iran they do not even pay that. They do not pay workers for months. For a long time they postpone the payment of their salaries, or they do not pay it at all.
Solidarity message from the Philippines: TO ALL THE WORKERS AND EMPLOYEES OF DAIMLER
We, from the Philippine Delegation of the International Automobile Workers Council would like to express our strongest support and solidarity to all of you who stands firm to fight against the massive attacks of Daimler corporation.
Greeting messages to nationwide delegates meeting in Germany
On October 18, 2020 successfully took place a nationwide delegates meeting in Germany. Greetings were orally forwarded from colleagues from Mercedes-Benz South-Africa and members of supporter group of International Automotive Workers Coordination in East-London South Africa. Also greetings were received from abroad from the Netherlands, Philippines and friends from Iran.
Worldwide solidarity in the fight against the massive attacks on Daimler employees! Corporation-wide fight for every job and apprenticeship position! For the 30-hour week with full wage compensation!
Dear colleagues, With indignation we reject the provocative plans announced on September 23 by the Daimler Board of Management for the closure of locations and further mass destruction of jobs in Germany. In July, a key agreement with the Central Workers Council guaranteed that there would be no compulsory redundancies until the end of 2029. At MAN, where 9,500 jobs are to be cut, the works agreement on guaranteed employment until the end of 2029 has been terminated. It is apparent that these agreements are merely calming pills. Now the Daimler Board of Management announces at an investor meeting: The profit line must be increased, 20% "savings" above all in workforce. Insiders estimate that a total of 20 to 30,000 jobs at Daimler will be destroyed in the next few years. Daimler is focusing on "voluntary" severance payments, partial retirement or early retirement. But every job that is destroyed is painfully lacking for our youth. Therefore, fight for every job!
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