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28 April, 2009
Three and a half thousand workers took to the streets on 23 April, in Hanover, Germany, to demonstrate for site preservation. Continental AG workers from across Germany, France, and Mexico turned out in solidarity for their IGBCE, IG Metall, and Verdi colleagues. The 3,500 demonstrated in front of the Conti-Shareholders' Annual General Meeting, for the preservation of the nearly 2000 jobs threatened.
Several delegations of the European Forum of Continental AG (European Works Council), from Regensburg, Frankfurt, and Berlin, demonstrated alongside trade unionists.
Werner Bischoff, a senior leader of the ICEM affiliate IGBCE, announced that the Corporate Executive Board can not make decisions alone, on matters of site closure.
Werner Bischoff
As reported in InBrief No. 128, both factories recorded excellent financial figures for the year 2008. The ICEM supports the common declaration of the 2-3 April meeting of Continental AG workers’ representatives, in describing the proposed job cuts as “morally despicable.”
One German trade unionist at the protest stated, “It's the first time that French union members and German members of the BCE union have come together against the shareholders, who, as we have already said, are talking just about money, whereas we are talking about our families and our hearts”
German labour representatives read a statement to shareholders that said "we do not accept that the life of thousands of families, when suppliers are included, are sacrificed to your boundless appetite."
Continental management has said that no definitive decision has yet been taken on the closure of the Clairoix plant. French workers have staged repeated protests over previous weeks, including the ransacking of administrative offices at the plant. The company had previously pledged to keep the French factory open until 2012 at least.
Workers are unanimous that if closure does occur, Continental will have to guarantee solid compensation packages for its employees.
Continental slashed around 8,000 jobs worldwide last year, and 6,000 more in the first three months of 2009.