Workers occupied Frape Behr factory in Barcelona, solidarity actions needed

Links in Spanish
CNT-FRAPE blog
alasbarricadas thread

Frape worker addressing the striking TMB bus workers - picture from kaosenlared

According to the alasbarricadas thread FAU have announced protest actions in Germany in support of the Frape workers. There's a report in German here.

apparently a Labor Adjustment Plan refers to a closing or layoff. The alasbarricadas thread says nearly 300 workers are affected.

FTC-IAC is an independent union, affiliated to the Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya (Alternative Interunion of Catalonia).

got any more info?

anyone?

BTW, here's some additional info:

You Tube vids can be seen at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn_NZXSzIUw

See also: http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&langpair=de%7Cen&u=http://www.fau.org/artikel/art_071224-091522/print.html&prev=/language_tools

Currently contacting WSA auto contacts to see if they can, at least, send solidarity emails.

According to alasbarricadas the countries with IWA sections that have Behr factories are Germany, Spain, France, the Czech Republic and Brazil. Still I don't see why this should stop other people giving some kind of support. The Frape-Behr workers are trying to put pressure on the Catalan government to reject the company's proposals - there's a demonstration outside the Conselleria de Treball in Barcelona tomorrow morning at 10am. Actions outside Spanish consulates and embassies might add a bit of weight to this.

I think the IWA is encouraging their Section's to prioritize this matter. Aparently Rata was sharing an internal IWA call to action with the rest of us.

That said, WSA is not in the IWA but will try and give some support. I would encourage other comrades throughout the globe --- and the US in particular ---
to lend whatever support they can.

I wouldn't get hung up on the symantics of the email. I would, however, suggest that in the future it be made clear that all are welcome to participate.

For folks in the US, there are Behr-America locations in the following citieis. Each have fax numbers (not emails) so fax protest/solidarity letters can be sent.

Behr America, Charleston SC [43 KB, PDF]
Behr America, Dayton OH [41 KB, PDF]
Behr America, Troy MI [41 KB, PDF]
Behr America, Fort Worth TX [54 KB, PDF]
http://behr.de/Internet/behrcms_eng.nsf/$all/0B0211D884857DB0C12571E0002931E2?open&qm=topnav,12,1,0

I don't know much about them but they seem to be an independent leftist union. There are quite a few of these apart from the anarcho-syndicalist unions - partly as a result of dissatisfaction with and splits from the mainstream CCOO and UGT. According to a report from the Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya on la haine (in Spanish) the FTC-IAC has a majority on the Frape-Behr comité de empresa.

Links in Catalan:
FTC-IAC
Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya

what kind of leftists? what relations do they have to political organizations and the various unions/groups in spain that are are(or claim to be) anarcho-syndicalist.? Sorry for all the questions but i cant read spanish or catalan.

I'll try and find out some more when I've got time - I struggle to read Catalan so the websites don't help me very much. I'd guess they're into some kind of mix of left-wing Catalan nationalism, third-worldism and Communism - I've no idea whether they're linked to any particular group or party. I'm not sure about the FTC-IAC but in general the CNT and CGT seem to have fairly good relations with the smaller leftist unions such as SAT, CSI and Co.bas. All these unions participate in the state sanctioned comités de empresa so this would be a fundamental point of difference with the CNT but not the CGT. It's an interesting subject and probably deserves a separate thread.

all i know is that IAC participates, as does COBAS (an assemblyist left split from CCOO), in demos called by CNT and CGT over various labor struggles such as the layoffs at SEAT. These are demos that are usually not supported by the UGT/CCOO bloc. i can't really tell much about IAC from their website. IAC also participates in the comite de empresa elections, but all the unions do in Spain other than the CNT.

under what conditions(if any)?

I thought coordinadora does not?

According to an article from 1989 on the WSA website the Coordinadora do take part in comité de empresa elections:

As far as I know the Coordinadora hasn't changed its position on this. I think that apart from the CNT and the CNT-Joaquim Costa the only union that didn't take part in the comités de empresa was SOC, the Andalucía based agricultural workers union. But this was because they were mainly organising casual workers and small workplaces where the system didn't really apply. With the launch of SAT, the Sindicato Andaluz de Trabajadores, they are aiming to take part like everyone else.

in the 2003 comite de empresa elections the FEEP (AKA coordinadora) elected 80 percent of the comite delegates in the longshore sector (divided into eight or ten geographic zones, each with its own comite). the Coordinadora's position has always been to use the base assemblies to control the elected delegates. in the early '80s some CNT unions evolved a similar view, but they were expelled and eventually became part of CGT. for example the SEAT and public transit sections of CGT in Barcelona. COBAS is a newer base union that takes a similar stance.

Our comrade had an idea to contact workers in the US who have some class action lawsuit against Behr.

Nice page Rata.

I'm happy to report that the WSA provided strike information has been modified and appears on the US autoworkers Future of the Union, "A Rank-N-File United Auto Workers News And Information Website" http://futureoftheunion.com/?p=6350
Spain Autoworkers Sit-Down Strike!

Also pleasantly suprised to see: Autoworkers January 1st, 2008 "New Year Letters Of Support To Rank-N-File Autoworkers by Mike Harris/The Workers Solidarity Alliance" http://futureoftheunion.com/ Scroll down a few articles.

I suspect these old emails were also meant to boost support for the Frape workers. Showing that anarcho-syndicalists have supported US autoworkers, now the same solidarity should be expressed with the CNT-Frape autoworkers. Just speculation on my part.

I will not dignify this page with a comment about the "SAN " fakers--- all 3 of them

Just in case someone else likes to copy the idea: The FAU issued a protest post card in support of the workers at Frape-Behr. The cover shows a picket in front of Frape-Behr, Barcelona, the flipside contains the protest and the address of the corporate headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. We printed a few thousands and are distributing them via our locals, mailorders and other groups that are supporting the workers. The take a few cents for the cards, the money will be sent to Barcelona.

Maybe somebody know what was result of decision 2 January? Maybe there is update ?

In brief - The workers occupied the factory on 21 December but ended the occupation on 26 December after the Catalan government's department of labour agreed to hold a meeting with the company and the unions on 2 January. According to a CNT member at Frape posting on alasbarricadas a lot of the workers had put their hopes on this meeting. As it turned out Mar Serna, the Catalan minister of labour, didn't turn up for the meeting and no pressure was put on the company to change its plans. The meeting ended without agreement. The workers are still waiting for a decision from the department of labour on the company's proposals. Yesterday they held a protest on the Ronda Litoral highway outside the factory, blocking it for 45 minutes. They are now holding an assembly every morning at 8am. Everyone seems impressed with the international support.

Edit: comment on alasbarricadas on Thursday - "It seems that the Ronda Litoral in Barcelona has been blocked twice today, once in the morning by the workers from Frape (in both directions) and again in the afternoon by the workers from TMB. This, together with the bus strike, another breakdown on the suburban railways, and the rain, has left Barcelona in chaos."

They blocked the Ronda Litoral again yesterday - pictures on the CNT-FRAPE blog
Christmas Eve at Frape-Behr

Wait, so what happened? I know there were negotiations, 2nd jan. or something like that, right?