The automotive industry in the UK is under threat as the recent closure of the Luton Vauxhall/Stellantis plant is showing with over 1,000 job losses. A combination of corporate greed, automation, delocalisation and shift away from petrol/diesel engine to Electric Vehicle to address the Climate Crisis is the perfect storm for workers to pay the cost of this decline.

Join us for this online session to explore the challenges faced by automotive industry workers and what a a Just workers-led transition could look like. We are inviting trade unionists and climate activists to come together to hear from speakers and discuss how to building solidarity and push for sustainable solutions. The future of the industry clearly cant just rely on producing electric cars at large scale given the tensions with rare metals/minerals extraction with its environmental costs and labour exploitation. We need cross sectors strategy in conjunction with rail and public transport workers and road transport workers.

Speakers:

• Paul Geary and Gary Reay, Unite reps at Luton Stellantis
• Trevor Vaughan, former Unite rep at Vauxhall Liverpool
• Sashwati Sengupta from GKN UK solidarity group (and also Banner Theatre/Manchester TUC)
• Jake Simms  from London Mining Network
• Toly Rinberg, UAW Autoworkers US union

Find out more with these short films by Reel News about the Luton dispute (December 2024) and about the GKN workers struggle in Florence (Italy)