7 March, 2012On March 5 the management of Benteler Kaluga (Russia) agreed to negotiate a collective agreement with the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA). Its previous decision to refuse negotiations was withdrawn.
RUSSIA: On March 5 the management of Benteler Kaluga (Russia) agreed to negotiate a collective agreement with the IMF-affiliated Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA). Its previous decision to refuse negotiations was withdrawn.
On February 29 ITUA local at the auto components plant Benteler Automotive in Kaluga proposed to management to begin collective bargaining negotiations. On March 1 the company announced its refusal to negotiate. Various anti-union activities followed.
In the early morning of March 2 the union held a temporary work-to-rule strike. The management hurried to the plant at night. The union reports that the main Volkswagen assembly line was nearly stopped because of the strike, as Benteler supplies components for the VW plant in Kaluga. ITUA announced its determination to go from work-to-rule to complete work stoppage if the management continues to refuse negotiations.
"The fact that the company finally agreed to begin collective bargaining negotiations inspires our optimism and hope for the good faith partnership, which will account not only for the interests of the employer, but also for the interests of the collectively organized workers -- hope, that in the final instance the union won't have to go on strike or take other forms of collective action," comments the representative of the ITUA.
Benteler is an international auto and steel company with 23,750 employees in 38 countries.