José opened the factory Danone inside Parets del Valles (Barcelona) and unfortunately he had already assumed that he would close it after 41 years. “I started working in April when I was 18 1983, I seem to remember. Danone had recently moved from its factory on Còrsega Street in Barcelona to Parets because it had outgrown it. At that time, yoghurt was still sold in pharmacies and recommended by doctors. Until supermarkets took action and started selling them. I remember coming the day they opened [el president de la Generalitat] Jordi Pujol to inaugurate. And since then, 41 years have passed… and they have already made it clear to us that there will be no more,” says this worker, clad in yellow overalls, outside the company’s headquarters on Barcelona’s Buenos Aires Street.
On January 12, Danone management 157 workers To notify the Parets del Vallès factory of its intention to close the factory. “They let us spend Christmas and kicked us out so we wouldn’t bother them,” says Román, another employee with 34 years on his resume. The white paint chips decorating the facade of Danone headquarters this Monday show the anger of staff following the announcement. “They wouldn’t even let us ask questions, they wouldn’t let it go and ‘you stay there,’” he recalls. javianother Parets employee who was not personally affected by the first closure of a historic brand. “Before joining Danone bacardi, by Mollet. “It’s clear I’m not lucky,” he says with an ironic smile.
The astonishment among the factory workers was complete, given the management’s proud comments about the job well done and the results up to that point. “A few days before he congratulated us, we actually thought the meeting was to announce investment plans or medium-term strategy,” recalls Verónica, who has worked on Parets production lines for 17 years. “The blow was huge,” she adds.
“Industrial rationalization” was the adjective used by management to publicly announce the closure. Products oikos, Alpro And VitallineProduced so far in Parets, among others, Danone wants to direct them to the plant Aldaia (Valencia). “This doesn’t make any sense. Two days ago they were boasting that we were the fifth best factory in Europe and that only cow and plant milk products were produced in Parets. It makes sense that they want to fake it and close us down. get more ‘dough’“, indicates Rome.
Thus began the process of closing an iconic factory in the history of this multinational company, which was founded in Barcelona’s Raval in 1919. The name Danone comes fromDanon‘, the pseudonym used by the company’s founder, Isaac Carrasso, called his son. daughter Daniel and the grandson of the founder, SeaIn 2016, he liquidated his last assets and left the business to the French shareholder branch. In their opinion, it is a change of power that does not benefit Catalan workers. “They’re selling us the values of humanism, closeness and familiarity, and when they get to the point of being repulsed, the only thing that moves them is money,” another worker says, amidst the blast of whistles and red smoke from flares.
Closing a renovated facility
The announcement caught many off guard, especially because the Parets plant was not obsolete. Unlike the recent closure of iconic companies such as Nissan in Catalonia, Danone has its own 51,000 square meters factory. An investment last year 22.7 million euros Transforming the Catalan factory into the group’s only hybrid. And two years ago, a 6.7 million euro investment in the digitalization of the plant’s operating systems came to an end. The chain had invested about half of its resources in a robotic warehouse for raw materials and 3.3 million They would invest in the next two years.
From the modernization of the factory to its sale and the opening of negotiations with unions for the terms of dismissal of 157 workers. According to union sources, the first offer submitted to them was 30 days compensation per year with a limit of 18 months and early retirement from the age of 58. Amounts described as excessive among staff will give way to a ‘give and take’ negotiation that could last months. The intention conveyed by the management to the employees is that they want the process to be closed between the end of the year and the beginning of the next year.
“The situation of the boys bothers me more than me. I will be 60 this October and I will also be able to retire early. But here, many people I have known throughout my life were in a difficult situation, my colleagues. People who have children and cannot agree to settle them in Valencia or wherever they want. Some even changed homes and moved to Parets to be closer to work. Others say it catches them in their forties and now let’s see where they can find another job, because we already know in many places they won’t catch you after one year. What they did is incomprehensible,” says José senior.
Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.