Alstom & Siemens Mobility: trade unions urge to secure the future of jobs and industry
Date
06 Mar 2018
Sections
Social Europe & Jobs
Five months after Alstom and Siemens Mobility announced their intention to merge their railway transport and mobility activities, the level of uncertainty concerning the social and industrial consequences of the intended merger remains unacceptably high. Therefore, trade unions defending both Alstom and Siemens Mobility’s workers from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom met on 14 February under the auspices of industriAll Europe in Brussels to reiterate their joint commitment to defend the future of their jobs and industry
There will be no ‘European champion of mobility’, as the two managements put it, unless the social dimension comes first!
Whereas the financial consequences and gains for shareholders have been made clear as of the beginning, the lack of information on the long-term industrial strategies of both Alstom and Siemens Mobility is persisting and precluding any proper assessment of their likely consequences on employment and the railway supply industry in Europe. Denouncing the lack of forward-looking perspective provided by Alstom and Siemens Mobility managements but also by national and EU policy-makers, workers mobilised massively during action days organised in Germany (called by IG Metall on 6 November 2017) and France (jointly called by French trade unions on 30 November 2017) to demand strong commitments to ensure the future of their jobs, sites and industry.
Whether the merger plan proceeds till the end or not, the European trade unions at Alstom and Siemens Mobility recall that they defend a future-oriented industrial activity in which Europe plays a key role at global level, which leads to job creation and industrial development. In their joint declaration (downloadable below), they therefore urge Alstom and Siemens Mobility managements to:
- Secure all jobs and all European sites in all countries by the opening of negotiations with trade unions as soon as possible;
- Secure the innovation capacities of all sites by developing R&D programmes, investment plans as well as workers’ skills and qualifications;
- Provide workers’ representatives with all the information on their long-term industrial projects and how they will help secure the future development of the two companies;
- Respect workers’ rights to information, consultation and participation on the envisaged merger plan, and secure high-level standards of social dialogue in the future.
In addition, the discussions surrounding Alstom and Siemens Mobility plans further highlight the pressing need there is to come up with a European response to the many challenges the sector is confronted with. European trade unions therefore demand that:
- EU policy-makers swiftly deliver an ambitious European industrial policy that supports the competitiveness and long-term development perspectives of the railway supply industry.
“There will be no ‘European champion of mobility’, as the two managements put it, unless the social dimension comes first! The future of both Alstom and Siemens Mobility lies on nothing but secured jobs, sites and innovation capacities in all European countries to make the most of a high-growth market” said Luc Triangle, industriAll Europe General Secretary. “There will also be no European champions of mobility in the future unless European policy-makers eventually go on the offensive to defend and promote the railway equipment industry. IndustriAll Europe will continue advocating for an ambitious industrial policy, including within the framework of the European Commission upcoming dedicated expert group”.
Download the Trade Union Joint Declaration in EN, DE and FR
Contact person: Aline Conchon, aline.conchon@industriall-europe.eu, +32 22 26 00 54