Unions representing 146,000 workers simultaneously halted production at all three US auto giants – GM, Ford and Stellantis/Chrysler.
They demand a 36 per cent wage increase due to high inflation. In addition, workers fear the introduction of artificial intelligence that could replace them. They are also outraged by the White House’s multi-billion dollar subsidies for the production of electric cars, which risk killing many factories that produce internal combustion engine cars.
As of today, unions have effectively paralysed the entire North American auto industry. And that’s just the beginning – postal workers and Amazon and FedEx couriers are also threatening to join them, which could plunge the entire country into a logistical crisis.
The timing of the large-scale strikes was very inconvenient. After all, inflation in the US has started to rise again – to 3.7 per cent. Food inflation and soaring fuel prices are to blame. Now there could also be a sharp rise in car prices due to production disruptions.
Biden’s team tried to somehow negotiate with labour unions until the last moment, but without success. But against this backdrop, Trump has been active in supporting the striking workers, whose votes he hopes to win. And Trump wants to rock the situation in the country more strongly closer to the elections. Although Biden himself is already dealing with this quite successfully – with inflation, energy crisis, strikes, lost wars and the increasingly obvious paralysis of Washington.
Malek Dudakov
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