26 August, 2010OS KOVO calls for letters of solidarity as 1,400 employees will lose their jobs following the announced closure of a Delphi plant by May 2011 in Česká Lípa, Czech Republic.
CZECH REPUBLIC: The International Metalworkers' Federation and the European Metalworkers' Federation sent a letter of solidarity on August 26 to OS KOVO and its 1,400 members facing job losses at a Delphi plant in the Czech Republic.
Delphi has announced it will close the plant in Česká Lípa, Czech Republic by May 2011, which will see all 1,400 workers out of a job. According to management, production will be transferred from the Czech Republic to Romania.
Delphi started producing auto part cables in Česká Lípa in 2003 and was one of the biggest employers in the region. The number of employees and sales gradually reduced and by 2008 there were only around 3,000 employees at the plant. Redundancies continued and today there are 1,400 employees left who are now also facing the sack by May 2011 in a region with an unemployment rate of 12 per cent and a ratio of 11 unemployed people per each available job.
In response to the announced closure a protest meeting was organized by the OS KOVO Company Trade Union Organization in Česká Lípa on August 23, where workers called for higher severance pay exceeding the legal minimum.
Negotiations with management for improved severance pay have so far been unsuccessful, and OS KOVO is calling for letters of solidarity. A copy of the IMF and EMF letter is published here.
Solidarity letters should be sent to OS KOVO International Department:
Dana Sakařová: [email protected]
Lucie Studničná: [email protected]