For the first Time in twelve years, all the wheels stand still when the US car giant General Motors: Since midnight, the workers are on strike for better conditions. The Management of GM is “disappointed”.
In the fight for a better collective bargaining agreement with General Motors (GM) have laid thousands of Employees off the job. The strike began at midnight (local time), such as the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) announced in the short message service Twitter. It has called on 46,000 employees to go on strike – the first for twelve years. Reason for failed negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement.
“This is our last resort,” said the negotiator of the UAW, Terry Dittes, to journalists in Detroit. “We are fighting for the basic rights of workers in this country.” The call for a strike was decided at a Meeting of trade Union representatives from all over the country.
Staff on Sunday in front of a General Motors factory in Flint, Michigan, near Detroit
The last agreement with the company over working conditions and wages from the year 2015 ended on Saturday, the UAW did not want to renew. Negotiations since July have brought no result. Both sides are apart are still far, according to the trade Union side. The workers are demanding fair wages, affordable health care, a participation in the profits as well as employment security and a set of rules for the Acquisition of temporary workers.
“Strong Offer”
GM stated that the company was “disappointed”. The group have made in the negotiations, a “strong offer”. The goal is a “good future for our employees and our companies to stay,”.
The last big strike at GM took place, according to the “Wall Street Journal” in 2007. At that time, more than 73,000 participants, therefore, are Employed at 89 locations. The strike lasted for two days.
Since they were still working: GM employees in mid-June in Flint
The business of GM are currently running well. In the past year, the group made 11.8 billion dollars (10.6 billion euros) earnings before interest and taxes. The Union argues that it is time to let the employees be a part of.
However, the Outlook is uncertain, also because of the trade dispute with China. GM had announced in November the closure of five locations in the States of Michigan and Ohio. The Union tried to save in collective bargaining, the locations and jobs.
GM offered according to their own information, to invest seven billion dollars, which will secure 5400 jobs. The closure of two of the five locations should once again put to the test. In addition, the company offered that the proposed E-trucks in a US-built plant.
stu/rb (afp, dpa)