{"id":17702,"date":"2019-03-29T13:32:52","date_gmt":"2019-03-29T13:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=17702"},"modified":"2020-11-12T12:57:07","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T12:57:07","slug":"international-solidarity-honda-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=17702","title":{"rendered":"Shoulder to shoulder"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<p>As Honda workers and their supporters gear up for a march and rally in Swindon tomorrow (Saturday, March 30) to save the Honda plant, they&#8217;ve been\u00c2\u00a0inundated by an outpouring of global solidarity.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The IndustriAll European Trade union this week sent a letter of solidarity to Honda Swindon workers on behalf of the 7m manufacturing, mining and energy workers it represents across Europe.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIndustriAll Europe does not and will never accept that dedicated workers who have grown strategic know-how over the years be thrown on the scrapheap, to the detriment of their future and that of Honda itself,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 wrote IndustriAll Europe general secretary Luc Triangle.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe join Unite the Union in urging Honda to rethink its decision and engage in dialogue on alternatives for ensuring a sustainable future of Honda activities in Europe. IndustriAll Europe will do everything within its powers to support its affiliates in developing a strong, collective response to this plan,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The IndustriAll global trade union also threw its support behind Honda Swindon workers, with IndustriAll Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches sending solidarity in a video message:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HxJ4lx3EI0E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe will do whatever it takes to stand together with you shoulder to shoulder to make the company reverse this unilateral decision,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe urge Honda to review this position but in the meantime you can count on IndustriALL and all our members worldwide to stay side by side with you until you win.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>German trade union IG Metall likewise sent its solidarity, with IG Metall executive committee member Wolfgang Lemb writing on behalf of its 2.2m members that the union \u00e2\u20ac\u015bwould like to express its support for [Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s] fight to safeguard the Honda plant in Swindon\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe Honda employees have made an excellent job over the years, are loyal and are highly skilled,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Lemb wrote. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe supply chain for the Honda plant is well-integrated. These are all good reasons to maintain the plant.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trade unionists from across the world took to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/963692274021092\/\">Save Honda Swindon Facebook page<\/a> to send messages of support.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOn behalf of the unionised workers in the transport sector here in New Zealand, I send a message of solidarity to our UK brothers and sisters,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 wrote Myles Carter of the Rail &amp; Maritime Transport Union. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bEven across the waves we are all united in fighting the good fight. Stand tall.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Rashid Patch sent \u00e2\u20ac\u015bsolidarity from Oakland, California\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 while Kelly Nugent of the American trade union IAMAW said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bknow that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m in accord with you in spirit, if not my presence. Solidarity forever\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Honda workers, thousands of whom face an uncertain future after the Japanese carmaker announced in February it would be closing its Swindon plant in 2021, were <a href=\"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/workers-go-to-parliament-to-state-their-case\/\">given further international support at a demo outside Parliament in March.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Honda workers from Ghent, Belgium travelled to London to express their solidarity.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat Honda is doing is inhumane,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Belgian Honda worker Veronique Debaere told UNITElive at the demo. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bSo many workers will lose their jobs not just here in the UK but in Belgium, Italy, Spain and Turkey. Their ethos is \u00e2\u20ac\u0098first man, then machine\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c what they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing is a complete contradiction. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m here in solidarity for Swindon colleagues.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke hailed the outpouring of support worldwide for Honda workers and explained how Unite was strategically working with its international trade union partners to the save the Honda Swindon plant.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have been in regular contact with IndustriALL, both the global and European trade union, as well as with trade unions in America and Mexico through Workers Uniting,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bHonda is a global company, with a presence in countries around the world, and so it is essential that we at Unite take our fight to save Honda Swindon on the global stage. Corporate greed knows no borders and neither should our fight against it.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner added, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe many messages of solidarity from our trade union brothers and sisters across the world should give our cause hope.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Unite has made the case both here and globally that the future of the Honda Swindon plant is viable, and the world is with us,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe urge everyone who can to join us tomorrow at the march and rally so that both Honda bosses and the UK government hear our message loud and clear. This is a world class plant with a loyal, dedicated workforce that have earned and deserve a secure future.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On the eve of tomorrow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s (March 30) march and rally, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.megaphone.org.uk\/petitions\/honda-stay-in-the-uk-savehondaswindon\">petition<\/a> urging Honda to rethink its decision to close the plant has amassed more than 16,000 signatures.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sign the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.megaphone.org.uk\/petitions\/honda-stay-in-the-uk-savehondaswindon\">petition<\/a> here and find out more about the march, and how you can join us, on <a href=\"https:\/\/unitetheunion.org\/campaigns\/save-honda-swindon\/\">Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s website<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/963692274021092\/\">Save Honda Swindon Facebook page.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Honda workers and their supporters gear up for a march and rally in Swindon tomorrow (Saturday, March 30) to save the Honda plant, they&#8217;ve been\u00c2\u00a0inundated by an outpouring of global solidarity. &nbsp; The IndustriAll European Trade union this week sent a letter of solidarity to Honda Swindon workers on behalf of the 7m manufacturing, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[],"wps_subtitle":"International solidarity for Honda workers on eve of #SaveHondaSwindon march","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17702"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17702"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25398,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17702\/revisions\/25398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}