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Liberian Rubber Workers Strike Again

Workers at Liberia’s second largest rubber plantation, the Guthrie Rubber Plantation, have again initiated strike action; the ground for this action, says the union representing employees, is a stoppage in salary payments and other benefits by the plantation’s management. Employees are demanding payment of three months’ worth of arrears salary.

According to reports, the protesting workers are considering blocking the highways linking major towns in Liberia to draw the government’s attention to their plight. This latest action is the most recent in a series of strikes in recent times, confrontations that have on occasion turned violent.

18th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental, Schaeffler to Avoid State Assistance?

According to Reuters and other German media outlets, sources with “direct knowledge of the matter” report that Continental and owner Schaeffler intend to avoid any requests for government financial aid. The finance minister of Germany’s Lower Saxony region, where Continental has its headquarters, said the state has not been received any requests for aid. “We have not even been approached with a preliminary enquiry,” said finance minister Hartmut Möllring. Neither Continental nor Schaeffler have commented about their intentions.

10th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Outlines Clairoix Redundancy Package

The deal for Continental’s Clairoix workers first made public by the French CGT union in late May has been officially confirmed. Conti reports that an agreement between its French and German management and trade union and French government representatives was reached on June 6. Upon announcing this agreement, Continental’s Dr. Thomas Winkelmann declared “we are pleased that we have already come up with a solution before the end of the four-week negotiation phase.”

An understanding, as Conti noted in a press statement, was not reached without difficulties. According to the German company, French union representatives “impeded the entire negotiations by rigidly focusing on negotiating the highest possible uniform one-off severance payment” for all affected employees. “The one-off payment of 50,000 euros for each employee is now a component of the overall solution – not more, but also not less, commented Winkelmann.

9th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

German Regional Leader Expresses Openness to Conti Solution

In an interview with German news magazine Focus, prime minister of the Lower Saxony region Christian Wulff stated the German federal government and the regions involved may support a solution to the Continental/Schaeffler situation and offer government backed bond guarantees. Wulff, in charge of the federal region where Continental is headquartered, indicated that a solution could involve Continental acquiring parts of Schaeffler and the Schaeffler group ending up owning substantially less than its current share. It would “not retain its 90 per cent share in Conti, but considerably less,” he said.

8th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

GM Files C11, Chrysler Sale OK’d

Once mighty General Motors formally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York this morning. The pre-packaged bankruptcy is expected to last 30 to 90 days, and GM will receive some $30 billion in US-guaranteed loans. GM is expected to emerge from bankruptcy considerably smaller, after shuttering or selling an estimated 14 plants as part of its bankruptcy. Debt-holders and the United Auto Workers will end up with a stake in the remaining company, while the US government will be GM’s largest owner.

Meanwhile, a federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of most of Chrysler assets to Italian automaker Fiat. The sale approval presumably clears the way for Chrysler to exit its own court protection within 60 days. Chrysler’s plan gives a 55 per cent share of the new company to a UAW trust for retirees, a 20 per cent stake to Fiat and smaller shares to the US and Canadian governments. Fiat’s share could grow to 35 per cent under the plan. (Tire Review/Akron)

1st June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Magna to Rescue GM Europe

The car parts manufacturer Magna International has agreed to a deal rescuing GM Europe from insolvency. Fiat, who were said to be putting together a bid, decided to decline the option of attending negotiations, which were attended by the German government. Chancellor Angela Merkel, business ministers and representatives of the German states in which GM plants are located will hold a meeting in Berlin on the evening of 29 May to discuss their potential approval of the deal. GM Europe owns auto-makers Opel and Vauxhall, while its American owners General Motors are widely expected to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday 1 June.

29th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

EURODA Offers 500 million euros for Stake in GM

In an effort to plug the 300 million euro financing hole that is holding up GM Europe crisis talks with the German government and potential buyers Magna and Fiat, the company’s European dealer association “Euroda” has renewed its offer of a shareholding in a future Opel/Vauxhall corporation.

“As mid-sized dealers, we’re ready to play our part in saving Opel. That is why we’re once again calling upon the federal government to take our offer of 500 million euros seriously. This is a historic chance for the automotive industry to let dealers and manufacturers work together to take entrepreneurial responsibility in shaping the future of Opel,” says Jaap Timmer, president of Euroda.

28th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

“Headway” Made in Conti Clairoix Negotiations

Negotiations between Continental AG’s French and German management and representatives of the French government and the CGT trade union have, reports Conti, “made a bit of headway.” The respective parties met in Paris on Tuesday May 26 to discuss solutions for the company’s Clairoix facility, and further talks are scheduled for later in the week.

“We entered into a detailed discussion of the offer presented last week and argued for an adequate overall solution that takes into account seniority at the company and further training measures,” remarked Dr. Thomas Winkelmann, who represents Continental’s German management in his role as HR manager for replacement market passenger car tyres in Europe and Africa. “So far, union representatives have concentrated on uniform one-off severance pay for all employees affected. In the next round of negotiations we intend to talk over a detailed package solution.”

27th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Schaeffler Signs Employment Security Agreement With Union

The Schaeffler Group and Germany’s IG Metall trade union have reached an agreement regarding employment security. The agreement, signed by IG Metall first chairman Berthold Huber and Schaeffler chief executive Jürgen Geißinger, represents the first practical result of the future agreement between the two parties outlined on February 23, 2009.

According to the terms of the agreement, the threat of redundancies occurring before June 30, 2010 has been eliminated on the proviso that a jointly agreed upon package of staff cost reduction measures are reached. Due to the impact of the economic crisis and its resultant diminished orders and sales, the Schaeffler Group says it must lower staff costs by approximately 250 million euros.

26th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

MRF Strikers Plan New Protest Strategies

Striking workers at tyre MRF’s Arakonam and Puducherry plants in India are considering surrendering their important ration and voter identify cards in protest against a wage agreement signed with a rival labour union. The worker’s sit-in strike began on May 9 and led to a lockout being declared at the Arakonam site on May 17. Production at both locations has come to a complete halt as a result of the industrial action.

20th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti to Buy Parts of Schaeffler?

It appears the tables have turned for Continental and Schaeffler. According to Reuters, sources with “knowledge of the matter” report Schaeffler is considering a plan to sell a large piece of its business to Conti in order to address its sizable debt. The ball bearing manufacturer is struggling with debts of close to 11 billion euros and has announced plans to reduce annual labour costs by 250 million euros – a sum equivalent to the laying off of 4,500 employees.

20th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Irish Tyre Industry Criticised Over Waste Management

The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government has blasted the tyre industry for its failure to comply to the Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2007. According to the Irish Trucker website, Department officials met with members of the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) to discuss complying with the regulations amid growing fears over how tyres are disposed of. Furthermore, the legal requirements have reportedly been sent to all members of the ITIA in the hope that the regulations will be adhered to on a more regular basis from now on.

15th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Australian Science Agency Partnering in Tyre Recycling Project

Australia’s government-run national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), reports it is working with Australian tyre recycling technologies company VR TEK Operations on the design and development of a new and improved method of recycling waste rubber for further use in the production of new tyres and a number of other products. The end goal of the project is to produce a devulcansied and activated high quality rubber powder suitable to be used in the manufacture of new rubber products.

6th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Resolution Found in Michelin Thailand Dispute

The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) reports that the two-month dispute between Michelin in Thailand and rubber workers backed by ICEM affiliate Petroleum and Chemical Workers’ Federation (PCFT) has come to an end. The disagreement, which involved the company’s factory in Laem Chabang, Chonburi Province, was resolved by tripartite dialogue and, says the ICEM, its “strong intervention”, along with that of French union FCE-CFDT and Michelin’s European Works Council.

5th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Supports UK Flood Rescue Team

Goodyear UK is to sponsor the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Flood Rescue Team, funding a raft of specialist training and equipment, synergistically linking the manufacturer’s emphasis on safety with its charity work. The RNLI’s Flood Rescue Team is a uniquely trained arm of the RNLI, able to operate worldwide to assist in rescues in flood hit areas. Having raised money for the charity in the past through tyre sales, Goodyear states that it is pleased to be taking the relationship a step further by supporting this vital service.

Goodyear UK brand manager Michelle Fisher said, “Through our previous fundraising for the RNLI we learned about the inland work carried out by the Flood Response Team, and the amazing help that they have given so many people in areas that you wouldn’t necessarily think could be affected by such dangers. There is great synergy between our organisations due to our own commitment to safety – our wet weather specialist tyres are designed to save people’s lives in wet conditions, RNLI volunteer crew members save people at sea around the coasts of UK and ROI every day.”

28th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors