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Opel Unions Threaten Strikes on Antwerp Closure

It would appear it's not all warm and fuzzy in Opel's kingdom, not even after the German carmaker got a new management and a new survival plan. After earlier today workers at the Opel plant in Antwerp confirmed they will file a lawsuit against the German brand for breaching a contract with workers, Opel unions in Belgium and Germany announced they may go on strike on the same Antwerp issue.

"A strike is the last resort, but management has to realise that we will undertake all manner of industrial action - and that can include strikes," Peter Scherrer of the EMF union said according to just-auto.com.

"There will be neither sacrifice nor concession by the unions, by the workers at other plants, if the decision is not overturned."

GM decided to shut down its operations in Belgium due to the "unfortunate result of the current business reality" and as a means to "secure a viable future for the entire Opel and Vauxhall operations.” The move was deemed by Armin Schild, a member of Opel’s board, as a declaration of war.

"We make the GM management aware of a long history of European solidarity in common action," said a joint declaration by labour movements published today. "This will be exercised if necessary."

The matters are made worse by the fact that Belgium even offered financial state aid to General Motors in an attempt to protect jobs. However, GM rejected the proposal which, according to some sources, comprised a 500 million Euros funding package.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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