APPEAL: As ex-GKN Florence workers’ struggle grows stronger to produce cargo bikes and solar panels under workers control – help them raise 2 million euros to start production
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This July, workers at the GKN automotive engineering plant in Florence, Italy will reach an incredible four years in permanent assembly – by some way the longest factory occupation in European 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.
There have been enormous strides in the past few months – but now they need your support and solidarity again. The regional government is now putting together a consortium to buy the factory off the current owners and hand it to the workers. They have promised this will be ready in July – which means production could start soon afterwards!
But the capitalist class will do everything possible to prevent the struggle from succeeding. The “void” deliberately left by Capital is making a final and desperate attempt to take over the factory and silence their struggle. The plant has been liquidated and sold off as a real estate asset. At the same time, all the workers have been dismissed in an attempt to wipe out an entire industrial legacy.
This is why the workers have relaunched their popular shareholders campaign – already well over the initial target of one million euros – to reach a new target of two million euros.
The GFF cooperative explains: “We won’t allow this void to consume us. We have a plan that is rooted in resistance, in life, and in reindustrialisation from the ground up. Shareholding from the collective effort of individuals is just one of the many tools we have.
“Just like our struggle, the grassroots shareholding effort isn’t quitting, but growing stronger. When we started the battle to stop the factory closing, we said: ‘A defeat here would open the floodgates everywhere.’ At this point in the struggle we’re asking ourselves: What if we were the ones to succeed? What if this became the spark that can unleash a wave of energy?
This project is open to anyone—individuals, associations, movements, workers, union members, and supporters— willing to join the cooperative’s assembly and help keep the reindustrialisation process transparent and accountable.”
“Our resistance has evolved into a project. It has led to the creation of a grassroots reindustrialisation project in order to regain the jobs that were lost in the area, through a socially integrated factory at the service of the very community that stood by it, with an environmentally sustainable production, with a cooperative and socially advanced control and decision-making structure, all from a mutual-aid persepective.”
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Pledge to buy shares in the solidarity package. This is open to anyone—individuals, associations, movements, workers, union members, union branches, and supporters. Shares start from 500 euros, and you can club together with others to take out a share. Every shareholder becomes part of the assembly that will collectively run the factory. You can take out shares at https://insorgiamo.org/200×10-000/; if you need help with the application, contact Reel News at info@reelnews.co.uk and we’ll do it with you.
- If you can’t raise enough money for a share, make a donation. The Climate Justice Coalition have reopened their crowdfunder for this purpose – no donation too small! https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-gkn-autoworkers-just-transition-struggle
- Keep raising awareness of this crucial struggle. One way you can do this is by sharing the Reel News films; 30 min version https://youtu.be/kYzgXHZ9_mQ?si=utFqEiz9GSkBIXaJ
5 min version https://youtu.be/zAGaxBpDhRY?si=FIcYikr-a9nA2igd
- Start making your own plans for a just transition in your workplace/community!
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. Which means all of us following the blueprint that the GKN workers have created – and not waiting until our jobs are under threat to do it. We’ve already seen Port Talbot steelworks and Luton Stellantis car factory shut down in recent months despite brave fights by the workforces – both of which could have been key workplaces in a transition. Let’s start making plans now before it’s too late.
