The management of Ford Almussafes in Valencia has asked this Thursday the works council to extend the ERTE calendar proposed in February beyond the date of March 28, the last scheduled day. As explained by the UGT-PV union, the majority in the plant, the company has asked to add five more days of ERTE for the engine plant, including the machining area.
The company has also asked the workforce to increase the number of affected employees in vehicles by two hundred more people, which will increase from 500 per day to 700 ERTE workers per day. The reason, the union explains, is that the launch of the KUGA will not increase its production due to problems with suppliers until April 19.
The extension of the ERTE coincides with two important dates for the Valencian factory. On the one hand, as the union UGT-PV points out in the statement, with the date of April 17, the last day of production of the Transit van, a fact that will generate a surplus of personnel that is of concern in the company.
The other key date is March 27, when Ford’s global management will hold a meeting with the majority union, UGT-PV. It is expected that at the event, which will take place in Dunton (England), with the participation of company executives such as its global president, Jim Farley, and European union representatives, including the president of the Ford Works Council in Almussafes, Carlos Faubel (UGT). The company provides more data on the alternatives it is working on to guarantee the workload of the factory, which has not yet received the investments planned for its electrification.
From STM-Intersindical Valenciana they have also evaluated, negatively, the decision to extend the ERTE. “In other factories they reach an agreement to pay 100% of the wage bill, but here there is a reduction in salary and we accumulate 20% of our payroll, so we will not support continuing with these abuses to the workforce. The workforce deserves a fairer treatment,” they have pointed out.