On May 14, over 10,000 Ford workers at the Cologne plant went on strike in response to the company's plan to cut 2,900 jobs. This marked the first official strike in the plant's history, invoking a strong sense of solidarity among the workforce, particularly from the IG Metall union and support from other industries. Employees expressed anxiety about their future, deeply rooted in family history with Ford, illustrating both the emotional and economic stakes of the situation. This moment represents a significant challenge for the company amidst growing concerns over its operations in Germany.
“We're worried; we're tense and anxious,” he told DW. His grandfather came to Germany in 1970 as a so-called "guest worker," traveling by train from Istanbul to Cologne, where he worked on the Ford assembly line.
“The Ford DNA is in us,” says Cozmez. “Once Ford, always Ford” was the mantra of the older generation in his family: Start work at Ford, and you've a job for life.
The one-day strike was the first official strike in the Cologne plant's history. There was a wildcat strike by employees from the Turkish community in 1973, but it wasn't organized by an established union.
Members of the IG Metall metalworkers' union came from all over Germany to support them, as did workers from the mining and chemicals industries. The strikers even received expressions of solidarity from abroad.
Collection
[
|
...
]