The most important struggle in Europe
This July, workers at the GKN automotive engineering plant in Florence, Italy passed an incredible three years in permanent assembly – by some way the longest factory occupation in Italian history.
That would be historic enough in itself – but what started out as a standard industrial dispute to save jobs has transformed into a visionary rank and file worker led movement for just transition, with a reindustrialisation plan to move from producing parts for luxury cars, to solar panels and cargo bikes. All under workers control, and for the benefit of the community, not for profit.
They know that for this struggle to succeed and be part of a proper transition to ecological, non-exploitative production that benefits workers and communities and not the rich, the whole world has to change around the factory. So through mass assemblies of workers, a movement has been built that is challenging the capitalist model – in a country that has a far-right government. The occupied GKN factory is now acting as a focal point for all struggles to converge; not only to take serious action to combat climate change, but to support refugees, support the struggle for a Free Palestine, show solidarity with trans people under attack from the government, provide solidarity with anti-fascist campaigns and much more.
There have been enormous strides in the past few months. The regional government is now accepting that public intervention could be possible to buy the factory off the current owners and hand it to the workers; they now need to find the technical means to do it. The workers are producing protoypes of the cargo bikes which are being tested out in Italy and beyond to fit them to people’s needs, and most importantly, are being used to hold mass meetings to work out what else need to change and be fought for to make them, together with buses and trains, part of a real transition to sustainable mobility.
But most incredibly, nearly €1million has already been raised to start production via their popular shareholder scheme. Every individual or group who buys shares becomes part of the assembly that will collectively run the factory if the workers win – and the first international assembly is due to be held in Florence on 12-13 October.
Win or lose, the GKN workers have created the blueprint for a just transition – and shown us all how to do it. But if they do win, it would create a laboratory from which we could start activating a just transition everywhere – as well as providing the hope of a positive future so essential for stopping the growth of the far-right.
That is why a GKN factory occupation – UK solidarity network has been set up, involving union activists from rail, education, construction, firefighting and delivery unions. (If you’re interested in coming, email us at info@reelnews.co.uk, and/or join the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1032188728576043/).
Our aim is to raise the profile of the GKN occupation and to send a contingent of grassroots trade unionists and activists to the GKN international mass assembly on the 12 and 13 October in Florence – and then to try and replicate their example back here.
Why we need money to do this
1) We want to make sure that low-paid workers who want to – and should – be part of this contingent are able to go. Some delegates will be able to pay their own way or get funded by their trade union branches; but many won’t. ; for example IWGB members of the cycle couriers branch, who are not only low paid but are in a union with no money to fund them. We would also like to take activists from the Gaza student encampments to take part in a struggle where the student movement and the Palestine movement have been key to building support. £2,500 would go a long way towards making this possible.
2) We want to buy shares as a contingent to attend the assembly as a shareholder group of rank and file workers from various unions. The workers ask for groups to club together and raise at least 500 euros between them for a share.
3) Obviously interpretation will be essential at the assembly so that everyone can follow what’s going on in their own language, but that costs money – not only for the equipment, but to pay the interpreters, who are not only very skilled but have to work very hard. As the GKN workers have no money we would like to be able to cover as much of the costs of this as possible … if we could raise at last £2,000 for this, it would be a massive help.
IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP – CLICK ON THE RED BUTTON BELOW
When you click on it, it’ll take you to our donate/subscribe page on our website. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the “donate” button, and you’ll be taken through to a link where you can pay by paypal or debit/credit card.
Union branches and community activists can also support the GKN occupation by:
• Sending a message of support to the ex-GKN workers at collettivo.gkn.firenze@gmail.com
• Share & show the Reel News videos about the GKN occupation at meetings
• Elect a delegate to attend the mass assembly in October
• Buy shares in the popular share issue at https://insorgiamo.org/100×10-000/