News, Events & Comments

The following update regarding production of the StrikeBike came to our attention through the people at Ztangi Press:


Hamburg, 15th of October 2007:

Strike-Bike Production starts on Monday the 22nd of October at 6:30 a.m.!

Finally, on 22nd of October the bicycle factory in Nordhausen start up
operation again. From 6:30 a.m. the "Strike-Bike" will be produced fully
self-managed and without bosses. The 1800 bicycles will be produced and
delivered to the customer in the beginning of november.

People who are interested in a „Strike-Bike" but didn't get one of the 1800,
have from now on the possibility to put their name down in a
Reservierungsliste on the webpage www.strike-bike.de.

Media representatives from press, radio and television are welcome. We
strongly ask for notices in advance. Due to the public interest
accreditations are needed.

There will be present: the collegues from "Bikes-in-Nordhausen e.V." as well
as members of the FAU, of the Café Libertad Collective and other unions from
other countries.

Please notify yourself timely by Fax:

»Bikes – in – Nordhausen e.V.«
Freiherr-vom-Stein-Str. 31 – 99734 Nordhausen
Tel. 03631 – 622 124 – Fax: 03631 – 622 170
eMail: fahrradwerk (ät) gmx.de



For further informations about the campaign of the FAU-„Strike
Bike"-Solidaritygroup:

Spokesperson:
Folkert Mohrhof
- mobile *0179-4863252* and ...
respectively monday till friday from 10 am till 3 pm:
*+49 40 - 20 90 68 96*
presse (ät) strike-bike.de

Labels: IWW, Strike Bike

The following press release regarding the Strike Bike campaign came to us through the Industrial Workers of the World listserv:

Staff of occupied bicycle factory in the Thuringian Nordhausen take up production in self-management again

The 135 colleagues of the bicycle factory Bike Systems GmbH in the Thuringian Nordhausen, who keep the factory occupied since 10th of July 2007, decided to resume the production of bicycles in self-management. For this aim 1,800 binding orders on bicycles must be received till 2nd of October. So the collegues are working together with the anarcho-syndicalist union FAU (Freie Arbeiterinnen- und Arbeiter-Union – Free Workers-Union), which formed for this campaign the internetpage www.strike-bike.de.

Since more than two month the staff keep the factory in the south of Harz Mountains in three shifts occupied. They want to prevent the definite dismantling and sale of the factory. The file for bankruptcy from 10th of august is against long odds: The factory is exploited and ran down, the hall was emptied except for the coating line. The staff receives unemployment compensation and hopes for a new concept and a new investor.

The „Strike Bike“ - Solidarity-Bikes from Nordhausen

In the time of occupation and in the wake of discussions during the visits of solidary people, the colleagues of the factory developed the idea to initially take up the production in self-management for a short time. Because it's not the point to only prevent the evacuation of the last machines and to wait for a new investor, the idea of an own ”Strike-Bike“ meet with more and more response. Now the opportunity arises to show the ability to develop an own concept and to self-manage production and distribution.

If it goes well to collect 1,800 advance orders for the bicycles produced in self-direction, we spread solidary ideas and bolster the colleagues in similar situations, not to let themselves easily being restructured to zero. By whomsoever!

The staff gets assistancy by the solidary members of anarcho-syndicalist union Freie Arbeiterinnen- und Arbeiter-Union (Free workers-union), which will become active in whole germany to spread the knowledge of the struggle of the bycicle-workers and to support the sale of the „Strike-Bike“.

More Informations can be received at: www.strike-bike.de

For background informations and history of the occupation www.labournet.de/branchen/sonstige/fahrzeug/bikesystems.html

To get in contact with the staff and to take orders

For further informations about the campaign of the FAU-„Strike Bike“-Solidaritygroup:

Spokesperson:
Folkert Mohrhof
- mobile 0179-4863252 and ...
respectively monday till friday from 10 am till 3 pm:
+49 40 - 20 90 68 96

Labels: IWW, Strike Bike