647 Telefónica workers in Catalonia, targeted by the layoffs

MadridTelefónica's workforce reduction plan (ERE) will affect at least 647 of the company's employees in Catalonia, according to data obtained by ARA. These are the employees who, meeting the age criteria of the plan, work in the company's three main business units. telecom Telefónica España, Telefónica Móviles, and Telefónica Soluciones are where the bulk of the proposed workforce reduction plan (ERE) is concentrated. In Catalonia, 1,355 people work in these three areas or businesses, meaning the ERE would affect 47% of the total workforce. According to data obtained by ARA, within Telefónica España, 570 employees would fit the age profile of the proposed ERE; in Telefónica Móviles, 73; and in Telefónica Soluciones, 4. Furthermore, a portion of the workforce would be excluded from the plan from the outset: those employees who, despite meeting the age profile, would not be eligible for the ERE because their work is not considered "surplus" by the company, according to reports.

However, it should be noted that these employees could be joined by workers from the other four business areas affected by the workforce reduction plan – Movistar+, Global Solutions, Telefónica Digital Innovation, and Telefónica SA – so the number of affected employees could be higher. However, the same sources explain that the impact would be "much lower" because "they have a much smaller workforce." This Tuesday, Telefónica confirmed the total number of workers affected by the workforce reduction plan: 6,088 employees throughout Spain, of which 10% would be in Catalonia, according to the initial figures.

Negotiation period

Now, a negotiation period between the company and the workers is just beginning. One of the unions' red lines is that participation must be voluntary. In fact, this element could significantly affect the figures for the territorial impact, because if it is accepted 100%, the territorial criterion could be weakened. Another red line is negotiating an extension of the collective bargaining agreements to "guarantee" the working conditions of the remaining staff. For the moment, a negotiation schedule has been established until December 16, during which two meetings per week are planned.