Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
The Japanese motor company Nissan has announced the closure of its production and logistic plants in Barcelona by the end of 2020, as a part of its global reorganisation plan to cut about 15% of its workforce worldwide. This plan will affect up to 3,000 employees working at the site and between 13,000 and 20,000 indirect jobs in Spain. After weeks of speculations, the company assure that this decision is due to the current overcapacity difficulties in the motor vehicles manufacturing sector; the company had losses of €5,270 million in 2019 and reduced 20% of its capacity.
This announcement comes after the internal restructuring of the company in Barcelona in 2019. Trade unions maintain the indefinite strike initiated on 4 May 2020, due to closure speculations. Just after the official announcement, several hundreds of workers organised protests in front of the Nissan plant. Workers representative are already meeting with the management of the company.
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism regrets the decision, proposing the study of alternatives plans, while it also rejects nationalisations. The Spanish Government considers that the continuity of the Barcelona plant is possible, as stated in the feasibility plan presented by the Ministry months ago.
Updated: 10/07/2020: Nissan has officially presented the collective layoff plan to the Labor department of the Catalan Government, reducing the initial 3,000 workers affected to 2,525, after the multinational decided to maintain its spare parts centre with 110 employees, 300 workers of the R&D center and 10 employees of the purchasing department. However, unions still reject negotiating the closure process and are organizing protests.
Updated 28/12/2021: The commission for the reindustrialization of Nissan plants in Barcelona has decided that the electromobility hub led by the Catalan engineering company QEV Technologies will take over the Zona Franca facilities, as well as Sant Andreu de la Barca, while the also Catalan company Silence will be located in Montcada i Reixac to produce motorbikes and light electric vehicles. The workers' representatives and the Spanish and Catalan governments have supported this proposal. This plan would occupy Nissan's two current production lines to produce various vehicle models, and the specific space and asset requirements will be analyzed with them to evaluate the possibility of complementary projects.
*** Update 09/03/2022 ** The application of Spain to the European Globalisation for displaced workers was approved. A fund of approximatively 2.8 millions has been provided to support 450 workers in Cataluna.
Eurofound (2020), Nissan, Closure in Spain, factsheet number 100762, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/100762.
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