CAF, a multinational company, recently held its annual shareholder meeting without representation from the workers. Despite the fact that 24% of the company’s shares are managed by “Cartera Social,” an entity that includes workers, they are still excluded from decision-making forums. The company’s industrial policy prioritizes low costs and profits, leading to the establishment of engineering subsidiaries in India, the use of the Mexican plant for low-cost production, and the outsourcing of purchasing tasks to plants in Poland. This globalization strategy is masked with a local image and discourse. The decision to build the tramway in East Jerusalem, ignoring workers’ requests and ethical considerations, reflects the company’s direction towards a ruthless multinational approach.
In response to these developments, efforts are underway to establish a European Works Council for CAF, driven by unions from Poland and France. With 4,700 workers in Euskal Herria, 2,300 in Spain, 2,500 in Poland, 950 in Sweden, and 870 in France, CAF employs over 12,000 workers across 18 European countries. Given the significant number of workers in Euskal Herria, it is crucial for them to have representation in the European Works Council.
While most Basque and Spanish unions support the idea of Basque representation in the council, CCOO, a union with limited presence in Basque plants, opposes this, claiming a unified Spanish identity. This disagreement highlights the need for genuine representation that aligns with the interests of Basque workers, rather than being dictated by distant unions.
It is essential to steer CAF away from typical multinational practices, prioritize industrial roots, create local jobs, and distribute wealth ethically. Workers must have a say in decision-making processes to achieve these goals, including representation in the European Works Council.