News

CFDT – CGT- CFE.CGC – CFTC - CGT.FO

Mobilisation on 23 April 2008 to impose a different future!



The European Rio Tinto - Alcan trade union organisations are calling for a day of action at all Group sites. Given the uncertainties caused by the successive takeover bids and the planned divestment of the packaging, engineered products and support activities, as well as the uncertain future of the primary metal and bauxite alumina activities within the group, we must urgently demand that national and European authorities force Rio Tinto to guarantee the jobs of the Group's 29,000 European employees.

On 23 April, let's insist on guarantees for a different future!!!

Accelerated mergers and acquisitions in the aluminium sector, speculative frenzy and the voracious appetite of shareholders and management for financial gains have destroyed the Pechiney Group, Alusuisse and VAW within a few short years, reducing a century of industrial and social construction in Europe to nothing!!!



The plundering of wealth produced, technologies and patents, the destruction of industrial capacities and jobs and the challenge to social rights and gains can no longer be tolerated!



Alcan has plundered Pechiney and Alusuisse, Rio Tinto is plundering Alcan and BHP or others may in future plunder the whole, leaving an industrial wasteland, devastated regions and thousands of workers without jobs in their wake.



National and European authorities confine themselves to condoning or promoting the policies of the large financial and industrial groups, and worse, in the name of the so-called "free and undistorted competition" dogma they prevented the construction of the Europe-based industrial APA project in 1999.



They forced the breakup of the French, Swiss, German and British entities through the creation of Novelis, which was rapidly absorbed by its Indian competitor Indalco. This inevitably resulted in restructuring, site closures and job cuts to meet shareholders' huge and extreme profitability demands. Sometimes even the governments and taxpayer-workers are called on contribute by co-financing redundancy plans.



The European aluminium industry is in turmoil and our sites and our jobs are in danger unless Rio Tinto – which generates 1 billion dollars cash flow every month, has increased the shareholder dividend by 30% and is promising a further 20% in 2008-2009 - is forced to take measures and provide guarantees.



On 23 April, let us turn out in large numbers to defend a strong and independent European aluminium industry!!!

The political authorities must force these large groups and Rio Tinto to make these resources available to serve jobs, populations, regions and employees.



The political authorities must acquire the means to take action, to regulate and oppose speculative takeover bids, they must impose independent European industrial development, preserve research capacities and maintain jobs and social rights and gains for employees.



The purpose of the mobilisation within Rio Tinto on 23 April is to force the group to make commitments on the specific issues for which requests were formulated at the European Works Council and during meetings with the authorities:

• Secure activities and jobs to be divested by choosing buyers according to their industrial strategies and social policies, and avoid disrupting the operational coherence of these activities

• Secure these activities and jobs by not using the price bid as the only criterion for choosing the buyer, as Rio Tinto has announced

• Secure these activities by maintaining research and development activities in Europe

• Secure social measures and financial sustainability to cover any post-divestment difficulties by setting up a guarantee fund financed by Rio Tinto

• Set up a European aluminium centre of excellence based on conversion activities backed by primary metal production capacity to ensure secure supplies of metal

• Ensure the long-term future of a competitive European packaging industry protected from the risk of re-location.

All these demands must be addressed by Rio Tinto in conjunction with national authorities, European authorities and employees represented by their trade unions within the European Works Council and company and establishment works councils.



On 23 April, let us all take action, for the sake of our jobs, our wages, and our working conditions!!!

• The jobs and assets produced by the aluminium industry in Europe CAN be saved and the industry's long-term future CAN be ensured!

• Know-how, technology and industrial capital CAN serve European jobs and populations!

• The fruits of employees' labour, efforts and intelligence CAN be fairly distributed to meet the fundamental needs of European employees!

Today the markets, technology, tools, skills and know-how of the employees of the Rio Tinto-Alcan sites provide the livelihood of thousands of families in our communities, our countries and our continent while generating very sizeable profits. No, they can't be allowed to destroy our lives so that a tiny minority can pocket astronomical profits!!!



So on 23 April, let's be determined, let's mobilise and let's make our voices heard!!!