MasOrange has offered unions an enhanced severance package for the restructuring plan filed earlier in September, now providing 33 days of severance pay per year worked, with a cap of 22 monthly salaries, according to CCOO and UGT after the fifth meeting held this Tuesday between the unions and the telecom group. The company maintains its latest proposal regarding the number of employees affected by the collective dismissal, at 745 exits (50 fewer than in the initial plan), as reported by Europa Press.
In concrete terms, MasOrange will offer indemnities of 33 days per year worked, with the cap at 22 monthly payments, described by CCOO as “less than a wrongful dismissal.” In Spain, the maximum indemnity for wrongful dismissal is 33 days of salary per year of service, with a cap of 24 monthly payments, a benchmark used for comparison in these negotiations, as noted by trade unions and press coverage.
In the latest proposal, improvements to early retirements were also included for staff aged 58 to 62, with a regulator salary equal to 100% of the fixed gross salary and 50% of the variable pay, plus a special Social Security agreement until age 63. Additionally, for workers older than 63, the plan provides what the law requires, 20 days per year with a maximum of one year, and without a special Social Security agreement. These points were reported by the unions as part of the ongoing talks.
Also disclosed is that the company accepted certain exclusions to the dismissals, including victims of gender-based violence or workers with relatives with a disability rated at 65% or higher, recognized before September 17, among other profiles highlighted by the unions.
On the other hand, UGT deemed the Tuesday proposal “unacceptable” and demanded a reduction in the impact if the company wants to reach an agreement. Sources familiar with the talks told Europa Press that three more meetings remain on the agenda for the ERE, not counting the meeting held on Tuesday. The negotiating table includes five CCOO representatives, four from UGT, and four from Fetico, the Confederation Sindical Independiente.
Following the downward revision of the ERE proposed in the third meeting, the plan for 745 employees now represents 8.9% of the roughly 8,400 workers on MasOrange’s current payroll, as reported in the same coverage.
Relocation Plan
Last week the company also announced a relocation plan for the 745 ERE-affected workers, which will not have a time limit, according to sources familiar with the negotiations cited by Europa Press. The program targets 100% of the people who enroll and will be managed with Right Management, a unit of Manpower, to help place workers in new roles within the organization or related opportunities as they arise.
The relocation initiative is designed to provide a pathway for employees to transition smoothly while the company adjusts its operations. It emphasizes continuous support and an enduring commitment to workforce redeployment beyond the immediate layoff figures.
Partial Strike
The unions CCOO, UGT, USO, ELA and CGT have called for a half-day strike on the coming Tuesday against the ERE proposed for 745 workers. The unions claim near-total representation across the six impacted entities, including OSP, OSFI, Euskaltel, and R Cable y Telecable, which are among the six affected by MasOrange’s ERE announced on September 3.
According to a statement from CCOO, UGT, USO, ELA and CGT, the strike will run from 13:00 to 17:00 at all work sites nationwide of the six corporate bodies affected by the ERE. This development reflects ongoing tensions as negotiations continue to unfold across the broader employee base and the unions seek stronger protections and more favorable terms for the workers involved.