Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Spain
Region
Noreste; País Vasco;
Location of affected unit(s)
Basque Country and Navarra
Sector
Administrative Services
Security And Investigation Activities
Private Security Activities
80.1 - Private security activities

89 - 109 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
27 November 2016
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date

Description

The private security company Ombdus has applied a collective redundancy affecting 109 bodyguards in the regions of the Basque Country and Navarra. These workers were hired within the security scheme aiming to cope with the terrorist activities of ETA. Since ETA announced the end of its terrorist activities in 2011, this subsector has been affected by employment adjustments. Currently, there are only 350 private agencies in the regions of the Basque Country and Navarra in charge of bodyguard’s activities. The Spanish parliament has proposed different alternatives to re-employ previous bodyguards in other security activities related with prisons or gender violence. However, proposals have not been implemented yet. 

Update 1-12-2016

The employment adjustment in Ombuds has been stopped and a new plan to reconvert the sector has been proposed, as informs the trade union CCOO.  The trade unions and the management of the company held a meeting to discuss the measure. During the meeting, trade unions submitted a proposal asking for alternative measures to the dismissals aiming to guarantee the jobs. Trade unions demanded to convert bodyguards in private security agents and to improve their working conditions. At the end, the company accepted the plan proposed but only 20 people accepted the new positions.


Sources

  • 27 November 2016: Diario de Navarra
  • 1 December 2016: El Economista

Citation

Eurofound (2016), Ombuds Compañía de Seguridad S.A. , Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 89386, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/89386.