Vol. 73/No. 41      October 26, 2009

Backed by the three trade unions that represent them, the CGT, FO, and the CFDT, the 1,120 workers at the Continental factory waged a major battle in March against the company’s plan to fire them after it announced the plant would be closed. The workers held daily rallies and general assemblies to decide on outreach actions.

Several hundred occupied another Continental factory in the east of France in order to force corporate management, based in Hanover, Germany, to meet with them. In April they demonstrated together with Continental workers from Hanover, whose plant was also being shut down. A popular chant was “Zusammen,” or “together” in German.

Workers at the plant here in Clairoix were particularly angered because in 2007 they had agreed, under intense pressure from the bosses, to concede increasing the workweek to 40 hours from 35 hours.

In late May Continental finally announced substantial concessions to the laid-off workers in Clairoix, guaranteeing payment of at least 75 percent of their salaries until 2014, and then a minimum payout of 50,000 euros (1 euro=US$1.45).

After Continental bosses again refused to meet last April, workers demonstrated at the local sub-prefecture, to which substantial damage was done. On September 1 a court gave suspended sentences of several months to six Continental workers for the damage, with fines to be assessed of tens of thousands of euros, saying the workers were collectively responsible.

Among the many messages of support read at the September 26 rally was one from Elie Domota, a central leader of the general strike in the French colony of Guadeloupe early this year. It received strong applause. “The Alliance against Exploitation unreservedly condemns all attempts by the French state, on behalf of big business, to demonize union activities and make them into criminal activities,” Domota wrote. “Ansanm nou ké gannyé” (Together we can win) the message ended in Creole.
 
 
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