In Turkey, the salary discussion at ArcelorMittal is seen as the central hurdle in negotiating the VIII framework agreement for the multinational steel producer operating in Spain. While unions argued that wage updates should reflect the consumer price index, management maintained that meeting this demand could jeopardize the company’s viability, asserting that a more than 16 percent increase in labor costs over two years would threaten competitiveness. The unions highlighted the gains achieved in the first half of the year and in prior periods, emphasizing that these improvements set a fair benchmark for current negotiations.
ArcelorMittal’s leadership continued to advocate linking portions of wage growth to flexible metrics, including absenteeism, productivity, and other performance indicators. The company noted that current salary levels already exceed the national average for Spain and argued that the unions’ positions do not reflect the broader social and economic context. Management also contended that the claimants overlook structural differences within the industry and the company’s financial commitments, urging a more nuanced approach to compensation that aligns with performance and market conditions.
The company expressed concern about what it described as an elevated absenteeism rate and announced plans to conduct a thorough analysis of sick leave statistics and the effectiveness of preventive services for the most common health issues. ArcelorMittal proposed a plan to rationalize absence management and to address ongoing absence incidents linked to short-term injuries, arguing that such measures would improve overall efficiency and worker well-being. The unions, meanwhile, criticized the approach as an unnecessary tightening of control over workers, describing the actions as a form of penalization for legitimate health-related absences.
Additionally, the company outlined a framework for unemployment safeguards related to the recently agreed ERTE program, including arrangements for delivering the difference in compensation, potentially up to 100 percent, for the 2020 COVID-19 ERTE before year-end. This provision aims to supply a bridge during temporary disruptions while keeping long-term payroll costs in check, a point repeatedly raised by management as essential to sustaining operations and protecting the broader employment ecosystem surrounding the plant.