1 March, 2012Belgian unions and IG Metall condemn private militia action against workers at Meister Sprimont.
BELGIUM: Belgian unions ACV-CSC Metea and MWB-FGTB, together with German union IG Metall, have strongly condemned the violent anti-trade union action at the German company Meister in Sprimont (Belgium) on February 26.
After a week of protest action by the workforce against the decision to relocate to the Czech Republic, employees were faced with a terrifying raid by well-armed German "security agents" to remove equipment and material from the Belgian subsidiary.
Luckily, the unions managed to block the trucks and get the police to intervene. The Belgian unions clearly want no part of this kind of "social dialogue" and firmly condemn the violence with which the workers were confronted. Alerted to the situation by the Belgian unions, IG Metall immediately intervened with the mother company, Poppe + Potthof, calling for sanctions against those responsible and relayed the information to the German press.
A police investigation is taking place and court action will be taken against the company, which failed to ask for authorisation to intervene in another country. However, it is not only this transgression of the law but the company's total disregard to the need to enter into consultations that the Belgian unions condemn.