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Topic: Solidarity with Opel workers in Germany
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radiorahim
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2777
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posted 19 October 2004 02:45 AM
My understanding is that the massive lay-offs are part of GM's plans to restructure their production in Europe. GM's plans may eventually lead to plant closures in Germany within a year or two. Europeans tend to have much more generous severance pay and unemployment insurance benefits than we do in Canada. In Germany workers can collect unemployment benefits for two years as I understand while in Canada the rate is variable depending on the regional unemployment rate...but always less than a year. There are quite a few stories (including a streaming video report in Real Media on the Deutsche Welle English language website here:Deutsche Welle
From: a Micro$oft-free computer | Registered: Jun 2002
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lagatta
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2534
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posted 19 October 2004 11:36 AM
Here is an update on the Opel workers' struggle - the wave of protests is spreading to GM and affiliate plants throughout Europe: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1365945,00.html solidarity across Europe http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=195004&Template=GALERIE&Objet=22271
You can enlarge this - very familiar - photo of Opel workers warming themselves at a brasero in the cold and damp. Yeah, I've contacted people in Ontario and in Detroit as well. I have a friend who worked for a couple of decades at the GM plant here but it closed a couple of years ago - he is a CSN staffer now; I have told him. Blake, could you send me your message by PM and perhaps give me an idea of whom you have contacted? I understand that people's names can be confidential, but I'd like to give my friend in Germany - an IG Metall shop steward and works council president - some idea of who has sent messages from North America.
From: Se non ora, quando? | Registered: Apr 2002
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