[LEAR] AGAINST CLOSURE THREAT, WE HAVE TO OCCUPY THE FACTORY

“Lear’s spokeperson said that the factory placed in Tigre [Buenos Aires, Argentina] will close if violence continues”

(El Cronista, 8/8)

AGAINST CLOSURE THREAT,

WE HAVE TO OCCUPY THE FACTORY

Occupation of every factory which suspends, fires, or close

Lear’s bosses threatened to close the factory in Pacheco [Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina, TN], after a 15 days long lock-out. “Lear’s spokeperson said that the company, which also has factories in Escobar and Córdoba, will close the factory in Tigre if violence around the place continues” (El Cronista, 8/8). “The american car part company Lear suspended its 450 workers and closed for 15 days in Pacheco, after stating that it will close if protests and fired workers’ claims don’t finish” (Ámbito Financiero, 7/08).

COMPANY AND BUREAUCRACY DO NOT HAVE THE WILL TO NEGOTIATE: THEY WANT TO FINISH WITH THE MILITANT WORKERS

The employers attitude is not to agree with workers in struggle: “the company sent letter to Industry Minister, Debora Giorgi, and Labour Minister, Carlos Tomada, asking for indoctrination for trade unionists” (El Cronista, 8/8). They are repeating Pedraza [railway trade union bureaucrat, TN] and Tomada’s method after Mariano Ferreyra assassination, when their target was to “indoctrinate” outsourced workers who were struggling to be regular staff. We should not forget that Pignanelli [Car workers trade union bureaucrat, TN] have already said that if they didn’t lead the trade union in the factory, they will close it. They want to defeat the struggle for the re-entry of fired workers and to close the factory if necessary. It’s clear that bosses and bureaucracy want from the very beginning to rid Lear of militant workers. That was the meaning of the Industry Trade Unions Confederation meeting where Pignanelli (kirchnerist, i.e, supporter of the government) and Roberti (massist, i.e. opponent to the government) agreed on fighting what they call “left infiltration” in trade unions.

CRISTINA’S GOVERNMENT: SUPPORTING CAPITALISTS AND BUREAUCRATS, AGAINST FIGHTERS

Kirchnerist government supports Lear’s policy. Official press agency, Télam, published a fake press release entitled “Lear workers claim to return to the factory and reject the left parties violence”, blaming militants for the 15 days lock out and attacking the struggle. Tomada itself stated that “some people prefer agreements and negotiations while other confrontation and rising conflict (...) closure was in order to calm down situation and attitudes (...) trade union achieved the payment for workers during this period” (Télam, 8/8). Government embelish comany and bureaucracy and attacks fired workers in struggle. We don’t have to forget that the same day Tomada stated his opinions, Capitanich was blaming PO [Partido Obrero, Workers Party, TN] in a press conference for Lear’s closure and saying that the left “defends capitalists interests”. To top it all, government militarized the factory and attacked pickets and demonstrations with the Police and Gendarmerie. As it is seen, is Cristina’s government which defends capitalists interests. Thus, it is a bad joke that Labour Ministry send workers delegates inside the plant when it’s closed and they cannot act as representatives. Kirchnerismo didn’t move a finger facing closure threats but has supported the lock-out. They are accomplish of the lock-out.

THE CAR PART FACTORIES CRISIS DEEPENS. CAR FACTORIES ARE CHANGING THEIR SUPPLIERS. CLOSURE THREAT IS REAL.

The answer to closure threat has to be the occupation. The lock-out and possible closure is based on the car industry crisis and the policy of car capitalist. It is not only about the deep recession and the dramatic fall of car sells, both in the inner market and for export. But also due to the decision of, for example Ford, which want to get their car parts abroad by import: “Enrique Alemañy, president of Car Factories Association (ADEFA) stated that ‘for car factories is necessary to have strong and stable suppliers. Where there are or there were conflicts, it is key to work aiming companies to be stable and to maintain workers, trying to put collective claims over individual ones, as Industry Ministry and Trade Unions are doing. We have to defend general interests in order not to harm the companies future, to avoid investment and recruiting fall” (La Nacion, 8/8). To sum it up, car factory capitalists are saying that if car part factories’ workers fight, they will contract other suppliers. This is why Lear’s bosses threat with the closure.

Also, the whole car industry in Argentina is going down: “‘Lear case is in the framework of a general crisis of the industry, due to the fall of car part demand in Argentinian and Brazilian factories. All the enterprises are under the pressure of a shrunken market, which will fall between 23% and 25% this year’, a man of the car art industry explained. ‘Car parts factories are facing that highers costs due to devaluation are not admitted by their clients. If this situation goes on (25% market fall and frozen prices) they won’t be able to pay to suspended workers and lay offs will start (...) what is happening in Lear is a chapter of the story that begun in May when Spanish company Gestamp started to suspend workers. This case was the top of the iceberg which rapidly started to become bigger. While the spanish company suspended workers, car part factories Civie and Valeo started with crisis procedures and Montich and Metal Plant Sturn with workers suspensions. Kromberg, which produces cables, fired 54 workers, more than twice the amount fired by Johnson Controls, which produces seat to Ford” (El Cronista, 8/8). Lear case is not a thunder in a clear sky, but is connected with the critical situation of the car part industry which is getting worse.

LET’S STOP THE BLEED. THE SOLUTION IS OCCUPATION

So, occupation is not an isolated measure or not linked with the situation of the others car industry workers. On the contrary, it would be the chance to stop this ongoing bleed which will get worse. Bosses impose layoffs in Gestamp and Kromberg. In Paty, 90% of the workers were forced to accept the “voluntary withdrawal” (covered layoff) and close the factory in Martinez. In Visteon, the firm announced they abandon the activity and the government and UOM [metal trade union, TN] organized a fake cooperative which does not guarantee the production. The solution facing suspensions, layoffs and closures es occupation and expropiation. The only way to fight against the decision of the company, the bureaucracy and the government to finish with the activists in Lear is taking the plant. Not to do it will allow the closure, the capital drain and the layoffs. Lear’s occupation would be a beacon to the rest of the workers that are suffering layoffs, suspensions and closures. We call fired workers assembly of Lear to discuss how do we organize the occupation.

August 9th 2014

TENDENCIA PIQUETERA REVOLUCIONARIA

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