Force majeure temporary employment regulation file (ERTE) adopted by ArcelorMittal and CC OO, UGT and USO unions for their factory in the so-called Cluster Asturias on the 12th Permission was granted by the labor authority due to the fire on 22 March at blast furnace A in Gijón. Valid for a group of 5,700 people and from 1 April.
The Asturias Cluster, which brings together mills in the region and other Spanish mills dependent on the supply of intermediate products from Asturias steelworks (Sagunto, Etxebarri, Lesaka and Legasa), employs about 7,000 workers. In the case of Asturias, with about 4,900 workers, ERTE will not affect the so-called structural workers (approximately 500 workers not directly involved in production) and will apply above all to the personnel of the damaged furnace and its associated sinter. , Avilés steelworks as well as wire rod (Gijón) and tin (Avilés) workshops.
The agreed ERTE provides a period of six months (a variable estimate depending on how long it takes to repair the burned blast furnace) and guarantees 90% of the gross salary and 100% of additional payments, as well as all holidays. “regardless of the contract suspension period”.
The agreement between companies and unions to temporarily regulate the employment of the workforce affected by the decline in pig iron production launched a new convergence scenario, to which the agreement between UGT, CC OO and USO and USO was added on Tuesday. The company in Asturias is only subject to consensus on the state level framework agreement and agreement after one year of negotiations.
There was a new negotiation session for the framework agreement this Thursday, but no agreement was possible either. UGT valuable “positive movement”, but decided it was “inadequate”. CC OO also described the job offer as “inadequate” and expressed his “resounding refusal”called to join the strike called by this union alone in the Asturias factories next Monday. The USO has branded the job position as “inaction”.
salary hike
The company this Thursday offered a 4.7% salary increase for 2022 on statements unpaid since January 1 of last year and 1% of all last year’s annual gross in an unconsolidated payment. For 2023, increased by 3% with outstanding debts from 1 January; An increase of 2.5% by 2024 and 2% by 2025. Offered variable pay for 2023, 2024 and 2025 on tables of 1.5%, some of which could not be consolidated based on success. targets waiting to be defined. The Company has guaranteed its purchasing power based on CPI at the end of the contract period, to include the difference that will occur in the implementation years in the 2026 tables.
Regarding staff separation, it announced that it would propose a formula for personnel born in 1962, on the same terms as previous agreements, until social agreement on decarbonization investments is achieved, and also proposed an improvement in paid leave.
UGT asked for “more concrete measures”The USO warned that “time is running out” to reach an agreement, and CC OO sees shortcomings in its business approach, particularly in terms of aid contracts, final and social aspects, and said the economic offer does not mean an improvement in salary either. .
The company is investing in extending the service life of one of the blast furnaces in Poland.
ArcelorMittal Poland stops production of one of the two blast furnaces in Dabrowa, to modernize the installation and prolong its service life. The investment will exceed 720 million. The steel company refused to invest in extending the useful life of Gijón blast furnaces, considering it would not be possible to depreciate with the new environmental regulations. Therefore, he proposed an investment of $1,000 million to replace one of the two blast furnaces in Gijón with a plant for the direct reduction of iron ore with green hydrogen and a hybrid electric arc furnace that would eliminate emissions. ArcelorMittal resources, It is more difficult to obtain a competitive green hydrogen supply in Poland than in Spain. –due to less use of solar energy– and therefore Dabrowa’s 2nd blast furnace will be invested..