European Workers Issues
Germany: Siemens hives off energy and power plant division
By Elisabeth Zimmermann, 15 May 2019
Shareholders expect jobs and working conditions to be attacked and dismantled even faster than they have been in order to boost profit rates.
Corporate murder: Trial opens of France Télécom executives over worker suicides
By Will Morrow, 10 May 2019
To shrink a workforce legally protected from sacking, executives adopted a covert policy of psychological torture designed to coerce workers to quit or commit suicide.
South African municipal strikers defy unions; strike continues by South African workers at Cell C phones
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
10 May 2019
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
Thousands of jobs threatened at Bombardier plants in Belfast and Casablanca
By Steve James, 7 May 2019
Bombardier’s move is the next phase of a global restructuring necessitated by ferocious competition in the world airline industry.
Fuel tanker drivers threaten new strike in Portugal
By Paul Mitchell, 4 May 2019
The fuel tankers dispute is the latest manifestation in Portugal of the eruption of the class struggle internationally.
UK rail union calls off strikes against driver-only-operated trains
By Michael Barnes, 3 May 2019
The Conservative government is behind the plot to impose a huge cost-cutting and de-staffing operation on the railways
In naked sellout, union announces end to strike by 300,000 Polish teachers
By Will Morrow and Clara Weiss, 27 April 2019
The union is covering up the fact that it is ending the strike without meeting any of the teachers’ demands by claiming the strike is being “suspended.”
International finance backs Socialist Party in Spain’s April 28 elections
By Alejandro López, 26 April 2019
European Union sources are warning of prolonged political instability and looking to the PSOE and Podemos for an answer.
Miners’ union sells out five-month long strike at Sibanye Stillwater in South Africa
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
26 April 2019
The South African Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union agreed to a deal ending the five-month strike by gold miners on the same terms as the “slave labour” agreement signed with three other unions.
As union seeks to end walkout
Polish teachers speak out on why they are striking
By Will Morrow, 25 April 2019
The main teachers’ union has called for the suspension of the powerful strike to allow students to complete their exams.
Unions scramble to contain Polish teachers’ strike as 40,000 social workers prepare to stop work
By Clara Weiss, 24 April 2019
The teachers’ strike, the first nationwide walkout since 1993, is one of the largest strikes since the restoration of capitalism in Poland in 1989.
Scotland: Union suppresses teachers strike as lecturers fight on
By Darren Paxton, 24 April 2019
The teachers dispute has been closed down, but lecturers and education staff fight on.
George Galloway declares for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party
By Chris Marsden, 24 April 2019
Having spent over three years hailing Corbyn as the left rebirth of Labour, Galloway now parrots the claim that Farage’s politics articulate the views of the working class on what he insists is the main issue of the day—Brexit.
New police crackdown in France as Macron to announce further austerity cuts
By Will Morrow, 23 April 2019
At last Saturday’s “yellow vest” protest, police were once again given free rein to violently assault and arrest protesters.
Bayer cuts 4,500 jobs in Germany
By Dietmar Gaisenkersting, 23 April 2019
Chemical giant Bayer AG is cutting 4,500 jobs in Germany, almost one in seven of its 32,000 positions in the country.
Polish government vows to fight wage rises as teachers’ strike enters second week
By Clara Weiss, 17 April 2019
Both the Polish government and the ZNP union are trying to isolate the national teachers’ strike and keep it from sparking a broader movement of the working class.
Largest UK department store chain, Debenhams, goes into administration
By Barry Mason, 16 April 2019
Last year saw the loss of nearly 150,000 retail jobs with the closure of 20,000 shops and restaurants.
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
12 April 2019
Gold miners in South Africa voted to continue strike action against Sibanye Stillwater, while Greek teachers planned a 24-hour walkout and Israeli firefighters say they will strike over working conditions.
The resurgence of the class struggle in Poland
By Johannes Stern and Alex Lantier, 11 April 2019
Thirty years after General Wojciech Jaruzelski’s Stalinist regime began to collapse, paving the way for capitalist restoration, Polish teachers are mounting a national strike.
Germany: Tens of thousands demonstrate in Berlin against high rents
By our reporters, 10 April 2019
The demand for the expropriation of real estate companies was at the centre of the demonstration and met with tremendous support among workers and young people.
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
5 April 2019
Gold miners have voted to continue their four-month strike after management rejected a deal proposed by mediators.
Ford confirms its target of 5,000 layoffs in Germany
By Marianne Arens, 1 April 2019
The axing of 5,000 jobs is part of a global cost-cutting program by Ford intended to save up to $14 billion.
At UK demonstration over factory closing, unions plea to Tory government and Honda
By Paul Mitchell, 1 April 2019
To defeat this immense assault, car workers in Swindon and every factory must break from the trade unions and create new, independent, fighting organisations to take up the struggle that the unions abandoned long ago.
Swindon Honda workers speak out
“The working class needs to be organised against global capitalism”
By our reporters, 1 April 2019
WSWS reporters spoke to some of those attending last Saturday’s demonstration in Swindon, England, against the threatened closure of Honda’s car plant.
Build rank-and-file factory committees to fight Honda job losses!
By Steve James, 30 March 2019
Today’s demonstration shows workers are ready to fight and there is widespread support for such a struggle in the car industry in the rest of the UK and internationally.
Textile workers strike in Ethiopia’s new economic zone; Sibanye miners union ends strike paving way for slave labour deal
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
29 March 2019
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
Goodyear-Dunlop plans 1,100 job cuts in Germany
By Marianne Arens, 27 March 2019
The latest measure will cut over one-third of the workforce at two factories in the state of Hesse.
Ford announces 5,000 job cuts in Germany
By Marianne Arens, 23 March 2019
The mass lay-offs are a component of Ford’s global onslaught on jobs known as the Fitness Programme, which aims to eliminate 25,000 jobs around the world.
Macron sends the French army against anti-austerity protests
By Alex Lantier, 22 March 2019
The move is a major step toward the implementation of police-state forms of rule in France, as part of a global onslaught against democratic rights.
European Union leaders grant May extra time to pass Brexit deal in UK parliament
By Robert Stevens, 22 March 2019
The EU has agreed a plan allowing a delay of Brexit to May 22 on condition that UK MPs approve the deal the EU agreed with Prime Minister Theresa May by the previous official exit date of March 29.
Fiction and reality: The Italian Five-Star Movement’s citizen income scheme
By Marianne Arens, 22 March 2019
The “reddito di cittadinanza” (citizen income) is a vanity project of the co-governing Five-Star Movement that will not change Italy’s stark social inequality.
Hungary hit by strikes in public sector and auto industry
By Markus Salzmann, 19 March 2019
Nearly 10,000 public sector employees went on strike in Hungary last Thursday, protesting poverty wages and government policy.
Germany: 3,000 Bosch workers protest in Stuttgart against job cuts
By K. Nesan, 19 March 2019
The Bosch company is using the introduction of electric-powered autos to press ahead with the biggest job cuts in its history.
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
15 March 2019
Thousands of teachers strike in Morocco, car workers walkout in Hungary.
Volkswagen announces thousands of layoffs
By Dietmar Gaisenkersting, 14 March 2019
The slashing of up to 7,000 jobs by the world’s second largest automaker is part of an escalating assault on jobs throughout global auto industry.
British retail sector continues shedding thousands of jobs
By Simon Whelan, 2 March 2019
Some 19,000 high street jobs have been lost or put at risk in the two months since Christmas.
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
South African gold miners’ strike at Sibanye in third month, Kenyan striking nurses defy back to work order
22 February 2019
As the strike by workers at Sibanye gold mine continues, the company announced the closure of two mines costing 7,000 jobs. Meanwhile Kenyan nurses are defying a back to work order by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Irish nurses’ union seeks to impose settlement after calling off strike
By Dermot Byrne, 20 February 2019
The INMO nurses’ union is betraying the struggle for a decent pay rise and better working conditions.
Germany: Public transport strike paralyzes Berlin
By our reporters, 16 February 2019
For much of Friday, all subways and trams in the capital stood still and most buses remained in their depots.
Nationwide public sector strike hits Portugal
By Will Morrow, 16 February 2019
Leading union officials have issued warnings to the government that its actions could trigger “uncontrollable” struggles by workers that they cannot prevent.
UK rail strike at South Western Railway, Sibanye gold and platinum miners’ strike continues
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
15 February 2019
Rail workers at South Western Railway voted by a near 90 percent majority to continue strikes in opposition to the extension of the use of driver only operated trains.
Tens of thousands strike in Berlin against poor working conditions
By our reporters, 14 February 2019
Tens of thousands of public sector workers took part in a one-day strike in Berlin on Wednesday. More than 10,000 people marched to the Brandenburg Gate.
One-day national strike paralyzes Belgium
By Will Morrow, 14 February 2019
Large parts of Belgium were brought to a standstill yesterday, as tens of thousands of workers took part in a national 24-hour strike to demand wage increases.
National 24-hour strike goes forward in Belgium
By Will Morrow, 13 February 2019
As strikes and protests grow across Europe, anger is mounting among Belgian workers at low wages enforced by state-run talks between business and the unions.
UK rail workers demand reinstatement of conductor sacked for opposing Driver Only Operated trains
By our reporter, 11 February 2019
The SEP and the WSWS warn rail workers that the RMT bureaucracy cannot be trusted to defend the victimised worker, any more than they can to oppose the introduction of Driver Only Operated trains.
The CGT’s “national strike”: French unions seek to strangle the “yellow vest” protests
By our reporters, 9 February 2019
For the unions, the day of action was an opportunity for its base of officials and bureaucrats to meet with “yellow vest” protesters and seek to gain control of their movement.
UK rail worker sends solidarity to Detroit auto workers protest
9 February 2019
“I wish you good luck and never give up. You need to be organised and stand up to the oppressing regime in order to succeed.”
UK Arriva North rail sell-out deal, Scottish lecturers’ strike, Sibanye miners’ stoppage continues in South Africa
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
8 February 2019
Strikes by rail guards working for Arriva North in northern England, who are opposing the introduction of driver only operated trains, have been called off by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.
French National Assembly passes police state “anti-riot” law targeting protests
By Will Morrow, 7 February 2019
Introduced in response to the “yellow vest” protests, the law marks a significant step in the transformation of France into a police state.
Berlin-based airline files for bankruptcy
By Ulrich Rippert, 7 February 2019
As in the case of the bankruptcy of Air Berlin, where Verdi and Lufthansa worked closely together, it is ultimately the workforce that will pay the costs of insolvency.
UK: Employment growth at the expense of pay and job security
By Alice Summers, 6 February 2019
While employment rates have being steadily rising since the 2008 global financial crash, this increase has gone hand in glove with growing levels of job insecurity and stagnant pay.
UK’s largest supermarket Tesco to shed 9,000 jobs
By Margot Miller, 5 February 2019
The response of the trade unions to the job losses was predictably muted. No fight will be waged by them to save a single job.
Union shuts down Audi strike in Hungary
By Markus Salzmann, 4 February 2019
The one-week strike by 12,000 workers at the Hungarian Audi plant in Györ had a massive impact on production in several factories in Europe and shook the auto industry.
Brexit, Free Ports and the super-exploitation of the working class
By Steve James, 4 February 2019
Both Tory and Labour politicians support new Free Port deregulation zones.
Portugal’s strike wave intensifies
By Paul Mitchell, 2 February 2019
As the strike movement develops, the unions have sought to dissipate united opposition into regional and sectoral strikes directed at pleading with various ministers, parliament and the president to change course.
Sibanye gold miners’ strike joined by platinum miners; Public worker strikes spread in Kosovo
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
1 February 2019
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
Berlin teachers and social workers strike for better working conditions
By our reporters, 31 January 2019
The unions have long worked with the parties that form the Berlin Senate to impose cuts.
40,000 Irish nurses to participate in series of one day strikes
By Dermot Byrne and David Byrne, 30 January 2019
Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) are to hold the first in a series of 24-hour strikes today over pay and conditions.
Russian Duma plans internet crackdown as 12,000 truckers strike
By Clara Weiss, 30 January 2019
The legislation is part of a global assault on free speech on the internet and a censorship campaign against independent news outlets.
Barcelona taxi strike called off after six days, Madrid strike continues
By Carlos Hernández, 29 January 2019
Barcelona taxi drivers voted to end their strike and accept the regional Catalan government’s decree establishing stricter regulations for vehicle-for-hire licenses.
Autoworkers strike in Hungary
By Markus Salzmann, 28 January 2019
Thousands of auto workers began a one-week strike on Thursday at an Audi plant in Györ, western Hungary.
An appeal from a UK rail worker for a joint fight of rail, bus and tram workers across Europe
By our correspondent, 28 January 2019
The WSWS has been sent this appeal from a UK rail worker to colleagues employed by state run Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways). It calls for a joint fight against its privatised arm, Abellio, which is currently attacking jobs and working conditions across its private UK rail franchises.
Oppose French unions’ attempts to strangle the “yellow vest” protests!
By Anthony Torres and Alex Lantier, 26 January 2019
The Pabloite New Anticapitalist Party’s calls for the unions to take over the “yellow vest” protests amounts to an attempt to strangle growing opposition among workers.
German Ford workers: “The yellow vests are going about it the right way”
By Dietmar Gaisenkersting, 25 January 2019
Members of the Socialist Equality Party discussed with Ford workers in Cologne about the formation of action committees independent of the unions to initiate a campaign to defend jobs.
Scottish teachers balloted for strike action in pay dispute
By Darren Paxton, 23 January 2019
Teachers in Scotland are demanding a 10 percent pay increase, having rejected on several occasions the Scottish government’s offer of a paltry 3 percent.
040 German Ford workers interviews
23 January 2019
UK: Corbyn endorses second referendum after May stonewalls on her Brexit plan
By Chris Marsden, 22 January 2019
With just 67 days before Brexit is scheduled to take place on March 29, Corbyn has once again folded his hand and united with his right-wing.
Ford workers at Bridgend in Wales facing 1,000 job losses
By Barry Mason, 21 January 2019
The trade unions act as management partners and are doing nothing to oppose the job losses.
Scottish lecturers expand strike for pay claim
By our correspondents, 18 January 2019
Lecturers are demanding a 2.5 percent increase, which merely covers for inflation, against an offer from the employers group Colleges Scotland of 0.9 percent.
France’s Lutte ouvrière group defends unions against “yellow vest” protests
By Anthony Torres, 18 January 2019
The “yellow vest” movement has unmasked the class gulf separating the workers from the union bureaucracies and organizations such as the pseudo-left Lutte ouvrière .
UK parliament to vote on Brexit deal today
By Chris Marsden, 15 January 2019
The fight over Brexit revolves around the best means of advancing the interests of British imperialism for control of global markets.
Top UK executives earn average worker pay within three days
By Alice Summers, 15 January 2019
While the vast majority of British workers have suffered a decline in wages unsurpassed for over a century, top bosses have seen their pay grow rapidly year on year.
Fight the Ford layoffs! Build rank-and-file committees to unite autoworkers across Europe!
By Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei, Socialist Equality Party and Parti de l’égalité socialiste, 15 January 2019
The working class cannot accept the “right” of the corporations to shut plants down, decimate entire communities and destroy the lives of tens of thousands of workers.
New year sees continuing strike wave in Portugal
By Paul Mitchell, 14 January 2019
So far this year, strike action has taken place or is pending in the judicial system, dockyards, oil refineries and food industry and among teachers and nurses.
UK People’s Assembly protest shows Corbyn’s role in demobilising the working class
By Steve James, 14 January 2019
The deeper the crisis, the more openly the Labour Party and the trade unions reveal their function as a political and industrial police force for big business over the working class.
Jaguar Land Rover announces nearly 5,000 UK job losses in global restructuring
By Robert Stevens, 12 January 2019
Last October, JLR posted losses of £90 million and has seen a collapse in sales by nearly 50 percent in its main and most profitable market, China.
Security personnel at German airports continue protest strikes
By K. Nesan and Marianne Arens, 12 January 2019
The work stoppages make clear the enormous anger of security staff and their willingness to fight.
Ford to lay off thousands, close plants across Europe
By Will Morrow, 11 January 2019
The company’s statement bluntly spells out the role to be played by the unions—which it correctly labels its “trade union partners”—in suppressing opposition among workers.
Macron launches fraudulent “national debate” on “yellow vest” protests
By Alex Lantier, 11 January 2019
The debate is an attempt to strangle mounting opposition while continuing reactionary policies of austerity and militarism under cover of a few empty phrases.
Scotland: 300 laid off at Kaiam plant on Christmas Eve
By Steve James, 3 January 2019
Workers at optical electronics firm Kaiam in Livingston, Scotland, were laid off following the company’s collapse.
Hundreds die on UK streets as homelessness reaches record levels
By Margot Miller, 3 January 2019
Over the last five years, an estimated 2,627 homeless people have perished on the streets.
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
Fight by rail guards at UK rail franchises continues
28 December 2018
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
Commercy “yellow vest” protesters hold second Popular Assembly
By our reporter, 24 December 2018
Over 100 workers, contractors, small businesspeople and unemployed gathered to discuss perspectives for a struggle against French President Emmanuel Macron.
RMT union cancels three strikes on London Underground
By Angela Austin, 24 December 2018
Underground rail workers have been involved in a series of disputes and strikes over worsening working conditions, staff shortages and victimisations.
Protests in Portugal and Catalonia met with police repression amid rising wave of strikes
By Paul Mitchell, 22 December 2018
To stem rising social anger, the government in Portugal secured an agreement from Facebook to close down the Yellow Vest protest organisers’ website and drafted in 20,000 security police.
UK: Half of Royal College of Nursing leadership re-elected after being forced out
By Ajanta Silva, 22 December 2018
The re-elected union functionaries played a crucial role in selling a rotten pay deal to their members earlier this year, after conspiring with other unions and the government.
South Africa Sibanye miners’ strike made illegal
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
21 December 2018
Some 15,000 workers at three mines operated by Sibanye’s three gold mines are continuing a strike that has now been declared illegal based on allegations of violence on the part of workers.
Fifth French “yellow vest” protest opposes Macron government
By Alex Lantier, 17 December 2018
The media and official parties are pressing the “yellow vests” to accept the legalizing of citizen-initiated referendums as a concession that would justify ending the protests.
French state prepares crackdown for fifth Saturday of “yellow vest” protests
By Will Morrow, 15 December 2018
The Paris police prefect announced that the response would be “about the same” as last Saturday, which saw mass arrests of over 1,700 people.
Germany: Ford announces massive job cuts at its Saarlouis plant
By Ulrich Rippert, 14 December 2018
At a factory meeting last Monday, local Ford management announced that production of the company’s C-Max model is to be discontinued with the loss of 1,600 jobs.
Ex-1968 student leader Cohn-Bendit denounces French “yellow vest” protests
By Alex Lantier, 14 December 2018
The eruption of a political movement in the working class has provoked a rabidly hostile reaction from the middle-class anti-Marxist “left” milieu.
Russian workers strike against social misery and austerity
By Clara Weiss, 13 December 2018
The crackdown on the strike in Kamchatka reflects the fear within the Russian oligarchy that the development of the class struggle internationally will sooner rather than later drive Russian workers into open struggle.
Mass layoffs threatened at European GM and Ford plants
By Marianne Arens, 12 December 2018
As part of the new restructuring of the global auto industry, Ford is seeking to cut 25,000 jobs worldwide, with the largest number of job losses in Europe.
High school students protest in Paris against French government’s education reforms
By Alex Lantier, 12 December 2018
The students are opposing the government’s right-wing reforms and re-imposition of compulsory military service, while showing their support for the “yellow vests.”
UK unions call off strikes against redundancies at Cammell Laird shipyard
By Barry Mason, 12 December 2018
The unions have already made clear they accept the need to reduce costs, urging only that there should be no compulsory redundancies.
Egypt bans yellow vest sales as French protesters reject Macron’s concessions
By Alex Lantier, 11 December 2018
Governments worldwide are panicking in the face of the growing militancy and political radicalization of the international working class.
UK workers, young people defend Yellow Vest protests in France: “I only wish that we could do it here as well!”
By our reporters, 11 December 2018
WSWS reporters spoke to workers and youth in Britain who support the Yellow Vest protests in France.
Which way forward for France’s “yellow vest” protests?
By Alex Lantier, 10 December 2018
The critical question is the independent organization of the working class, in France and internationally, in the preparation of a European general strike.
The “yellow vests”: A movement of workers against social inequality
By our reporters, 10 December 2018
In this video, workers participating in France’s “yellow vests” demonstrations explain their demands and appeal for international support.
German workers express solidarity with “yellow vest” protests in France
By our reporters, 10 December 2018
German workers who spoke with Socialist Equality Party (SGP) candidates, expressed sympathy with the mass protests of the “yellow vests” in France. Many share the same grievances and confront the same inequities.
Follow the WSWS