Published 05/29/2018 14: 36: 06CET
VALLADOLID, May 29 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The management of Renault has confirmed on Tuesday the disappearance of the third shift in the assembly factories of Villamuriel de Cerrato (Palencia) and Valladolid with the aim of adjusting production to the needs of different markets after a decline in sales of the models Mégane and Kadjar that oscillates between an 8 and 11 percent with respect to the “record numbers” of the previous years and by the competition of the Captur.
According to the company explained to the unions at the Intercentros Committee meeting, the proposal is to cancel the third shift at the Palencia factory starting on July 23 after almost three years of validity, since September 2015, while In the assembly factory of Valladolid it will expire on August 13, the date of the beginning of the holidays, after almost four years in operation, since September 2014.
The elimination of the third shift of Palencia will affect 800 employees plus 150 of the so-called concatenated lines of Valladolid that will not renew their temporary contracts while the elimination of the night shift in the plant of Carrocerías-Montaje de Valladolid will affect 450 workers, 1,400 in total.
“Since Renault has always said that it is essential at all times to adjust production to the needs of different markets and therefore it has decided to consider the non-renewal of these complementary shifts,” the company has argued that, through a statement of press collected by Europa Press, explains that the evolution of the markets will dictate the type of organization to be implemented.
In particular and as confirmed by Laura Press, Laura del Ser, of the UGT-FICA Trade Union Section, in the specific case of Palencia, the Renault Management has confirmed that both Mégane and Kadjar enjoy “good health” in both cases according to the current phase of life of both models.
In the case of the Captur, the company explains that this model currently has “a lot of competition” in its segment which has caused a “relative decline” in demand “in line with the current phase of the vehicle’s life” that will be settled with the disappearance of the third shift.
The concrete approach of the company is that the factory in Palencia will go from producing 1,350 to about 920 units every day in two shifts, similar production that will have the assembly plant of Valladolid from which about 1,150 daily vehicles are currently leaving.
Renault has insisted to the representatives of the workers that the industrial plans of the French firm have “filled with work” the assembly lines of the factories of Palencia and Valladolid with the arrival of six models, from the Twizy, in 2012, to the recent release of Mégane RS in February 2018.
Both parties will meet again on June 7 to continue negotiating the measures to be applied to suppress these two shifts, a “bad news” for the unions that have agreed to demand that the Directorate of Renault not rescind any contract before its completion and that takes into account those workers in the face of future employment needs.
According to UGT, the company has responded that it will take these requests into account, so “all” possible contracts will end on the scheduled date.
Likewise, the unions have taken advantage of this first meeting of the consultation period for the modification of the working conditions in Bodywork-Assembly, in Palencia and in the concatenated lines to request a “comprehensive control” of overtime and prolongations of working hours after the elimination of the two night shifts. CCOO has gone further and has demanded its elimination and has demanded that the company present information such as the order book or the delivery times of the vehicles.
The general delegate of the trade union section of CCOO in Renault, Rubén González, has expressed his dissatisfaction with an announcement made “from one day to another” and from the conviction that this adjustment of production could be done “in another way”.
“It’s not good for Castilla y León,” said Gonzalez, who, in statements to Europa Press, has asked Renault’s management to abandon the imminent suppression of these two third shifts and plan production “in another way” and, in any case, in a “gradual and staggered” way and not “suddenly”.
For the delegate of CCOO, the “surprise” announcement of Renault supposes a “social irresponsibility” and a “bad image” for the French firm of the diamond mark to which it has demanded the fulfillment of Industrial Plan 2017-2020, which, As has also assured, the management of the company has ensured that it will comply “in all agreed terms”.
Finally, he has advocated a reassignment of workers in shifts based on their preferences so that they can make work and family life compatible.
From UGT, they have appealed to the “quiet” to the fixed staff of the factories of Renault from the conviction that their future is not committed as they are guaranteed in an agreement that is being fulfilled “rigorously”. Having said that, the trade union section has “deeply” regretted the elimination of the two night shifts because of the impact it will have both for direct employment and for the auxiliary companies, which is why it has asked the company to recover both shifts “as the conditions allow it. “