Trade unions make a last attempt to attract Nissan’s new car model to Barcelona by proposing their own cost reduction plan

Barcelona (ACN).- On Monday Catalonia’s main trade unions, the General Union of Workers (UGT) and the Workers’ Commissions (CCOO), sent the Catalan Government their cost reduction proposal affecting the Nissan plant’s costs in Barcelona, in order to meet the company’s competitiveness requirements and attract the new sedan car model the Japanese multinational is about to allocate. The Catalan Government is acting as mediator between the workers’ representatives and Nissan, especially now that talks are officially over. The multinational and the unions had been negotiating a new competitiveness agreement for 6 months but talks derailed 10 days ago, when Nissan considered the talks to be over as the unions refused to sign its final proposal. Then the company announced that its plant located in Barcelona’s Zona Franca industrial district – strategically located next to the sea port and El Prat airport – would not build its new car model. Nissan’s announcement had a great impact on the unions, which are now trying to persuade the multinational to change its mind. The union representing the majority of the Catalan plant’s workers (Signen-USOC) signed Nissan’s final proposal about a week ago, but CCOO and UGT – the main ones in Catalonia – have insisted on presenting their own proposal, based on Nissan’s need to make reductions of €30 million. The CCOO and UGT’s proposal was written mid-last week and ratified by Barcelona plant’s workers on Saturday. A few days ago, Nissan stated that it was too late, but now it says it will study the union’s final proposal to look at the details. However, on Monday there was no date for another meeting and Nissan had not confirmed it will change its mind. Meanwhile, the Catalan Minister for Business and Employment, Felip Puig, is cautious, although he believes there is still “some chance” that Nissan will finally build its new car model in Barcelona. Furthermore, on Monday the Spanish Ministry for Industry, José Manuel Sória, was optimistic about the final outcome, as he saw “the best predisposition from all parts” to find a satisfactory agreement. Sória believes that the final proposal from the CCOO-UGT can put the situation back on track and make Nissan decide to allocate the new car model to its Barcelona plant. If Nissan was to decide to build the new sedan in Barcelona, it would represent an investment of €130 million, creating 1,000 direct positions and 3,000 additional jobs. Besides, it would consolidate Greater Barcelona’s position as one of the main clusters of the automotive industry in southern Europe.

The unions’ proposal takes into account Nissan’s needs, according to the unions

After ratifying its alternative proposal to improve the competitiveness of Nissan’s Barcelona plant in Saturday’s assembly, CCOO and UGT sent it to the Catalan Ministry of Business on Monday, so it can send it to Nissan, as the Catalan Government is acting as mediator between the company and the workers. However, firstly the Ministry will analyse the proposal to confirm it is in line with the company’s needs. According to the unions, their last proposal takes into account Nissan’s petition to reduce costs by €30 million and it accepts the company’s proposal to implement a dual salary scale, with new workers earning 20% less than existing workers.

According to CCOO and UGT, it is an “alternative” proposal to Nissan’s but with many similarities and achieving the same goals of reducing costs and improving the Catalan plant’s competitiveness. In fact, they state that they are accepting most of the proposals presented by the Japanese company, such as the dual salary scale. However, the unions are also asking for a guarantee that the oldest workers will be protected in the case of a hypothetical mass layoff.

Nissan has not closed the door but wants to study the details

Nissan’s management in Catalonia is cautious. Even though the company would accept talking to the unions again, it is waiting until it has looked at the proposal’s details. However, sources from Nissan have reminded the workers that they still support the company’s last proposal – from 10 days ago – which was signed on the 21^st of January by the main trade union in the factory, Signem-USOC. Furthermore, Nissan has insisted that they will only accept an agreement that is in line with their demands.