Dear Colleagues, TPCA employees,
as you all know, another round of collective bargaining took place on Friday 7th of February 2020. After its finish, many lies and “half-truths” were expanded in a very short time about it. To be honest, I would say it was really crazy. The biggest upheaval caused when I legitimately asked the representatives of the company and the established labour unions what is the answer to the minutes of the last meeting of 22th January 2020 (see the attached material from the previous negotiations).
For a better understanding of the situation, I will just have to say, that this record clearly shows what commitment all labour unions have made to the representatives of the company and what steps will follow at the next common meeting. All of this was, of course, confirmed by the signature of all parties involved.
However, the reaction that came after my question was absolutely incredible. They looked at me, silence, they was quiet, nothing was happen. I repeated the question again and the representatives of the company were turn the speech in different way and in the end I repeated my question to the third and added “just say yes or no”. Then, finally, I´ve heard “no”. It was easy, but nobody wanted to say it.
My next question was regarding OO. I found out from ASO that we have to explain and to justify them, why we want intermediaries. Then I asked KOVO and I recieved the same answer. It is clear from the minutes that there is an agreement without any other conditionality. That means: a clear violation of the previous agreements, agreed at the previous negotiation, thanks to some concessions to the company. But what followed was really crazy. ASO immediately began shouting at us, insulting us, beating the table and swearing.
The management of the company sat idly, and they, could be said, be pleased by what the ASO was doing there, sorry, only their chairman. He is a person with a very cultivated behaving. Luckily, KOVO representatives were there just as also-runners – one simple sentence is enough for them during negotiations. Very interesting was the reaction of the company. Besides, I learned that we ask purposefully, we want to harm the established OO and whether we want war?! The ASO chairman shouted that we were taking over people, that we were signing off their people, and that he gives us a list of names, let’s take everyone, etc. There were a lot of arguments and phrases what we listened in the past. Thus we ask, what made them so angry, what made them so upset? We just wanted an answer to one sentence from the last meeting minutes. Probably the right question at the wrong time? What is the reason of the strong and unanimous reaction of the company and established labour unions? Was the problem that we wanted an answer to the minutes?
And what was the real agreement of all OOs?
The agreement between the OOs was as follows: When I asked all the OOs on January 22, 2020: “How much money must be taken as a helpful, common step?”. ASO said 40 million and this amount was agreed by all, only the OÚP said that that it is the “minimum”.
If the company does not ensure a smooth negotiation in the future, without the emotions and inappropriate speeches of the Chairman of the ASO to myself, our negotiating team and the whole OÚP organization, we refuse to participate in the negotiations. What he affords is out off good manners in any society. Let these pub practices do in another company.
Before the minutes was made from this “episode”, the company representatives left the room several times and consulted. Expression changed, but the first expression was the word “No.”, followed by a lot of changes in the minutes. That’s how society behaved for the first time, the male and clear answer is a problem.
And what is that intermediary, who both established OO and company fight against?
By law, we can find intermediary after 60 days of unsuccessful collective action. In our case it is already about 130 days! Anyone who wants to tell us that our actions are leading to an agreement probably use really strong supportive things in the evenings.
Yes, we already have some experience from 2016. It is a state independent organization that will evaluate our dispute and make a statement (recommendation) for both parties. This statement is not obligatory on either side! They can follow that, they can accept that, and they can inspired from this in the future. It is basically just a part of the legal system. If there is still no consensus, you can continue and go to the strike with equanimity. This will allow you to raise a strike alert and start picking votes for the strike. But it is still possible to negotiate. If you agree, everything is solved.
If the company and Mr. Š. of KOVO tell us that we are extorting them through an intermediary, they may have forgotten that this is a legal possibility. Progress and their expression is inappropriately, because we do not doing illegal things. KV is completely legitimate and intermediary ase well.
In 2016 we prepared the material for intermediaries as follows: ASO prepared “0” pages, although the current chairman was in the negotiating team, KOVO prepared the whole one A4 page, although the current chairman was also in the negotiating team, well and OÚP did everything. Ok, we were new, but we made it, and today’s chairmen did what they do today. The chairman of OO KOVO was on the whole meeting on her mobile and chose a guitar, and the chairman of the OO ASO playing with his mobile, even when the executive was talking. Really good representation of these unions, but it correspond with company…
Another fictional problem was that I said I had to leave at 1pm. What is strange about it? Have none of you had any family problems and needed to leave a meeting, negotiation or work? Representatives of the company usually leave the meeting and nobody is surprised, two person of KOVO are sitting there silently since the morning and nobody cares. But if I need to leave and two OU negotiation team members stay there, it will make a hype. Could those who do this know nothing else, and this is their top of their work- and perhaps the only one? Why are two members of the OÚP negotiation team insufficiently low?
“Informal discussion” – this is what did not happen and the company called it hereby. There should be no minutes of that meeting, so what did we lose? Maybe that’s why the company, KOVO and especially ASO have been doing so. Maybe they know more than we do? But most importantly, it share the information, that the company wants to put 10% into wages, into tariff. If that would this case, we would have KS signed immediately, but as we know, this is definitely not the truth and the company does not want to accept this increase. Unfortunately. Although you do the same job that is paid otherwise in PSA and Toyota companies than in ours in Kolín.
“Bonus Supplement” – I would like to congratulate and thank you for the work done for our company, where thanks to fulfilled bonus parameters you will now receive a very nice supplement. What do you think – how was this bonus “born”? It was not easy and we also heard that it is out of the possibilities of the company. As we listen to it today. It was also made by OÚP, because years before the establishment of OÚP it was a time of darkness with the addition of only 500 CZK in gross wage. It is necessary to realize what was there before the OÚP and what has changed after the OÚP coming. We do not hide the fact that we have a different view of the conditions in TPCA, but for us was always a satisfied employee in the first place. We can see in the negotiations who is fighting for our employees and who is just sitting there.
It is sad how far this negotiation has come. OÚP is trying to bring it to a successful end, so that the worker is, who works here and leave here part of his health, is satisfied. The automotive industry is one of the most difficult sectors and creates many disabled and occupational diseases. Is it really so hard to understand that we also want an appropriate reward? It is sad to listen to the employees who have spent the whole weekend in bed due to their body pain after working week, instead of taking care of family and children. But perhaps this will change with Toyota and the new stages, the processes will be balanced and people will not so much interested in money, but they will recognize the other values that the job offers. But it is not yet so! We still believe that sanity will prevail and we move on to fully deal with the challenges ahead.
Thank you for your patience and support.
On behalf of the OÚP negotiation team,
Petr Bíba