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.
Amazon, the US e-commerce and cloud computing services multinational has announced the creation of up to 1000 new Jobs in a new Logistics centre, to be opened in March 2023 in Zaragoza, Spain. It will be the only Amazon 'inbound cross dock' centre in Spain, with a capacity to supply 30000 shipments per hour to first-mile centres throughout Europe and manage 3000 pallets per hour.
Most of the jobs will be newly created, although employees at the Martorelles (Barcelona) warehouse (employing 800 people and to be closed in April 2023) have been offered transfers to other centres (particularly the new Zaragoza centre). Incidentally, this change will imply lower salaries for those who decide to be transferred, since the provincial collective agreement in Zaragoza offers poorer salary conditions in comparison to Barcelona.
The initial employee’s reactions at the Martorelles (Barcelona) warehouse have been very critical with the decision, and employee representative organisations have called to continue negotiations before a call for an strike for 31st January 2023.
Previous resutructuring plans have been recorded in the ERM Events database for Amazon. Most recently, Amazon announced a restructuring plan to cut 18000 employees from it's global workforce (Amazon-2022-WO). Other previous restructuring events in 2022 were in the Czech Republic (Amazon 2022a-CZ and Amazon 2022b-CZ), Spain(Amazon 2022 - ES), Germany (Amazon 2022-DE, Amazon 2022a-DE, Amazon 2022b-DE), France(Amazon 2022 - FR), Poland (Amazon PL - 2022) and Austria(Amazon AT - 2022).
Update 13/12/2023
Amazon has announced that it will ultimately not open its new logistics centre in Zaragoza, despite initial plans and the expectation to create up to 1,500 jobs. Instead, the company has decided to rent the facilities to a third party, due to lower than expected consumption levels in Europe. Notwithstanding this decision, Amazon has reiterated its commitment to the region of Aragon and its key role within the company.
Eurofound (2023), Amazon, Business expansion in Spain, factsheet number 108245, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/108245.