What's going on in Genk?
Many of our German colleagues would like to know what is going on in Genk after Ford announced the closure of the Belgian factory in 2014. Unfortunately news is hard to come by. Please share your information and opinions with us. Tell us about your employer's strategy and your struggle in Genk and also our possibilities to defend our workplaces using the "Kommentieren"-button below. It is is also necessary to make the case of the struggles at Ford Genk public in Germany.
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PVDA, worker's party of Belgium, started spreading information about other possibilities. Like spreading the production throughout all current factories instead of closing them down. Amongst that proposition, other ideas emerges as well.
The unions at Ford visited the Ford factory of Köln. The goal was to show the Ford-management that they weren't to give up their jobs. This visit however, due to a provocative police force, got out of hand. One of the trade unionists was arrested, Gaby Colebunders. His arrest made the workers angry.
The combination of the PVDA's information as well as Gaby's clash with the German police has turned today's manifestation from a solidarity march to a call for struggle. 20 000 people walked along. Ford-workers, unionists and partymembers. Today's manifestation was a clear sign to Belgian's politicians as well as Ford's management that the workers aren't tools. They will not be discarded and will fight for every job that is threatened.
This is no longer merely the battle of Ford-workers, this is an international start against the capitalist ways of multinationals, against the neoliberal politicians of the EU.
From Belgium,
Michaël.