This is the "Strike -Bike" or as it has been renamed the "Volksrad"! This is an incredible initiative, workers have occupied a bicycle factory in order to maintain their jobs,and now under self management are producing bikes. We just ordered one in red! Please take a look at the two press releases below, one in English and one in German and then maybe you could drop by and take a look at their website strike-bike. They need all the help they can get!
Pressrelease 1
Hamburg/Nordhausen, 19th of September in 2007:
"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.
Since more than two months the staff has been working the factory, in the south of Harz Mountains, in three shifts. 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 run 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!"
More information can be received at: www.strike-bike.de
Pressemitteilung
"Eine unglaubliche Dynamik hat der Kampagne »Strike-Bike« zum Erfolg verholfen. Schon jetzt gibt es mehr als 1.300 Bestellungen aus der ganzen Welt. Sie sind das Ergebnis der „Strike-Bike“- Kampagne der Kolleginnen und Kollegen aus der besetzten Fabrik in Kooperation mit der anarchosyndikalistischen Gewerkschaft Freie Arbeiterinnen- und Arbeiter-Union (FAU). Nun ist die Sensation perfekt: die „aufmüpfigen“ Kolleginnen und Kollegen werden das rote »Strike-Bike« selbstverwaltet Ende Oktober produzieren.
Überall in Europa haben sich Menschen für diese Kampagne engagiert, sie machten Veranstaltungen, besuchten lokale Fahrradhändler, erzählten ihren Freunden und Kollegen von der Sache und verteilten Informationen. Auf Hunderten von Internetseiten wird weltweit über das „Strike-Bike“ berichtet. Die Homepage www.strike-bike.de wurde schon über 64.000 mal besucht. Zuletzt berichteten auch viele große bundesweite Medien über den Kampf in der Nordhausener Fahrradfabrik. Das Ergebnis ist überwältigend: die für die Aufnahme der Produktion benötigten 1.800 Bestellungen kommen zusammen! Es muss aber noch bestellt werden!" www.strike-bike.de
