ICOG call for May 1, 2025: Together against job and environmental destruction, against wars, racism, rightward development and fascist danger!

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Let us strengthen the international unity of workers across national borders and companies! Let's fight for a free world without exploitation and oppression!

There is no end to the genocide in the Gaza Strip. We express our full support for the resistance and the Palestinian people. The war in Ukraine has been raging for over three years now. We stand against all wars that lead to such immeasurable disasters in the world.

The transition to electromobility and digitalization has led to the international car companies becoming the drivers of massive plundering and the battle for raw materials. The car companies themselves are getting involved in the extraction of raw materials and battery cell production in order to further maximize their profits. This competition will escalate the wars for spheres of influence, raw materials, international food production and energy reserves.

This has devastating consequences, as we are witnessing the ongoing global destruction of nature and the environment. The Amazon rain forest in Brazil, a huge reservoir of carbon dioxide, now emits more CO² than it absorbs. The polar ice caps and glaciers are melting and the world's drinking water reserves are shrinking. Droughts and massive floods have become part of our everyday experience. All this points to a serious destruction of the natural foundations of life for nature and mankind.

We must organize our activities worldwide, coordinate and stand up to stop this madness!!!

The International Automotive Workers' Coordination calls for a worldwide struggle against the attack on our jobs and the destruction of nature and the environment.

The so-called "transformation" and crises in the automotive and supplier industry have already led to plant closures and massive job cuts.

Workers at Mercedes, Toyota, BMW and Ford in South Africa are fighting mass redundancies, cuts in working hours and wages. Workers at Ford, VW, Mercedes/Daimler/Evobus and several suppliers in Germany are engaged in similar struggles. Workers in India are on the starting blocks to defend their hard-won gains of the past in protecting their labor rights. The Indian government is going on the offensive by attacking and abolishing labor laws that are supposed to protect workers at their workplace. On 20 May, they plan to go on a general strike. Workers in the US have shown great courage by leading a very long and well-coordinated collective bargaining struggle with the United Auto Workers (UAW), strengthening their union organization. In Brazil, a strong strike by workers at Mercedes and GM against job losses helped to vote out the ultra-right government under Bolsonaro.

This is a very important lesson for all of us. It will take strong, organized and well-coordinated workers' strikes and struggles to overthrow reactionary governments around the world.

This resistance must be intensified and continued worldwide! This is the tool, catalyst and energy boost for our international automotive workers' movement, to develop cooperation and coordinate our struggles. The next highlight of our work, the mobilization to participate in the 3^rd International Automotive Workers' Conference in November 2025 in Pune, India, will also serve this purpose.

Come along to Pune and let's use our international conference to strengthen the international unity of workers!

Against plant closures and the massive destruction of jobs worldwide!

Against the rightward development of governments, against racism and fascist danger, against white supremacy of governments!

Let us fight side by side for a world without wars, without hunger, poverty and environmental destruction!

Long live international solidarity!