French unions are lending their considerable weight to the on-going campaign by the United Auto Workers (UAW) labour body to have its grievances aired concerning Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi, plant.
The UAW and several French labour organisations are holding a press conference in Paris this morning (22 October) to highlight their on-going concerns and as international labour law expert, Professor Lance Compa, releases his French language study into Nissan in Mississippi.
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Representatives from French unions, CFDT,CFE-CGC, CGT, Force Ouvriere and pan-European labour body, Industriall, will be present at the Bourse du Travail in Paris, as well as the UAW, Canton workers and American clergy.
“International labour standards call for non-interference [in union formation] which Nissan clearly continues to do,” UAW director for international affairs, Kristyne Peter, told just-auto from Paris.
“The reason we are here in Paris is because Renault owns 43% of Nissan and Nissan owns 15% of Renault. Renault is a great example of giving workers their labour rights.
“We know citizens of France respect these international rights and we know the French unions support us. [They] want to see rights extended to Renault be extended to Nissan workers, particularly because they have a strategic alliance.”
The issue of union representation at Nissan’s Canton plant has been boiling for almost a year, with demonstrations at various motor shows around the world including Detroit and Geneva, while the UAW has also secured the backing of Hollywood film star, Danny Glover in its campaign.
Nissan has consistently refuted any claim its workers were not encouraged to form unions noting previously:
“Nissan employees in Canton enjoy jobs that are among the most secure in Mississippi and offer some of the highest manufacturing wages in the state, strong benefits, a working environment that exceeds industry standards and an open dialogue based on transparency and mutual respect.
“Nissan employees have voted overwhelmingly in the past to reject union representation, and just as with past efforts, the UAW’s current campaign in Canton, Mississippi, has received little interest among employees.”
However, Compa, Professor of labour law at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and whose French language version of his report is released today, insists Nissan is taking a firmly anti-union stance in Mississippi.
“The company has a sustained, on-going, anti-union campaign to frighten workers into not joining the union,” Professor Compa told just-auto from Paris.
“That if you form a union we will have to reconsider whether we put new investment and put new lines in the plant.
“It is contrary to what they do in the rest of the world. It is adopting American-style, union-busting.”
Nissan was not immediately available to comment from Europe, but is due to respond from either Japan or the US later today.
