Auto Worker Caravan is in solidarity with the Ford workers of Brazil against plant closings that threaten to eliminate virtually all of their jobs. Ford suddenly announced the immediate closing of two plants and another plant closing at the end of this year. Ford has refused the unions’ demands to negotiate and to stop layoffs and plant closings.
According to Ford, all new vehicle production would stop. Only a few jobs producing spare parts would remain alongside some research and testing.
This means as many as 5000 direct job losses and 5 to 6 times that many indirectly.
Luiz Carlos Prates, “Mancha,” is a leader of another Brazilian union confederation, CSP-Conlutas. He and fellow members have been to the US several times to express solidarity with US auto workers. Mancha says Ford is using the Covid pandemic as an excuse to restructure. He adds, “Does the company, which benefits from tax exemptions, think it can leave the country whenever it wants, when its profits have decreased? No!”
Ford will still sell cars in Brazil, but Brazilian workers will not be able to make any of Ford’s cars of the future, electric vehicles.
The unions of the Ford workers have publicized their mass meetings and marches against the job losses. A judge has blocked mass layoffs without negotiations. However, that alone will not prevent the job losses. Our sister and brother Ford workers in Brazil need international solidarity to block this attack that would worsen the world-wide race to the bottom. That would embolden Ford to eliminate more jobs including in the US.
Copies were emailed to:
Júlio Bonfim, President of the Metalworkers’ Union of Camaçari
Claudio Batista da Silva Júnior, President of Metalworkers’ Union of Taubate