Brussels on Strike for the death of European car industry

Brussels is currently showing what could happen to Germany and rehearsing what has been happening for some time in Italy . Between 10,000 and 15,000 people are expected on Monday (Sept. 16) for a large demonstration against the planned closure of the Audi plant in Brussels . In solidarity, local transportation will also come to a halt: streetcars, subways and buses will operate only to a limited extent in the Belgian capital.

The planned factory closure will affect 3,000 jobs. As the Brussels Times reports, Audi confirmed last week that it no longer plans long-term production in Brussels. Instead, production will be moved to Mexico. However, cars are expected to roll off the assembly line at the Brussels plant again starting Sept. 17, following several strikes that took place last week. Last Monday, workers set fire to four tires forming the rings of the Audi logo.

The strike and large demonstration are not only directed against the closure of the Audi factory but also against the sense of decline in Europe. According to the Brussels Times, unions in Belgium that are united under the common banner FGTB-CSC-CGSLB refer to the Audi case as “just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to widespread deindustrialization in Europe and Belgium.” The unions are therefore calling for a “reindustrialization policy.”

Here is a video of the strike:

The Belgian Climate Coalition-an alliance of 90 social organizations committed to climate policy-also expressed solidarity with all those “suffering from the decisions of the Volkswagen Group.” The loss of 3,000 jobs is a “symbol of failed structural change,” the Brussels Times quoted the organization as saying.

Automotive industry expects millions of jobs to be lost across Europe

Over the weekend , an internal automotive industry document to the EU caused a stir. In the document, the automotive industry warns of the loss of millions of jobs in Europe. The industry is unable to adapt to the impending tightening of EU climate regulations, the letter available to the German news agency in Brussels reads. “As a result, EU industry will face fines amounting to billions.” Anyone who wants to avoid sanctions has “no choice but to significantly reduce production, which threatens millions of jobs in the EU,” it says.