Final stretch to unlock collective dismissal at Leche Pascual: workers mobilize again
The demonstration concentrates in front of the dairy company's headquarters in Madrid
BarcelonaKey days for the future of the 86 workers who make up the Leche Pascual workforce in Gurb (Osona). After the Castilian company sealed the sale of the plant to the Catalan Casa Tarradellas, the dairy company's factory has been partially dismantled for months and the handover will take place on July 31. However, the workers' future remains uncertain: although there has been talk of an eventual incorporation into Casa Tarradellas, currently the buyer's offers do not convince the staff, as the conditions they propose are not precise enough. remains uncertain: while an eventual incorporation into Casa Tarradellas has been discussed, currently the buyer's offers do not convince the staff, as the conditions they propose are not precise enough.
Currently, according to sources close to the negotiation told ARA, the workers have three proposals on the table: relocation to the Leche Pascual plant in Aranda del Duero, compensation they consider "insufficient", or the aforementioned route of joining Casa Tarradellas. Furthermore, as pointed out by the Col·lectiu Ronda – the cooperative of lawyers representing the workers in this process – the new economic proposal made to them by the Burgos-based company continues to be "insufficient", and for this reason the staff has decided to resume mobilizations.
The first took place this Thursday at midday in front of the dairy company's headquarters in Madrid. On Friday, the workers will also protest at the gates of Casa Tarradellas' traditional summer party.
The offers
As explained by sources close to the staff, the workers' preferred option would be to reach a severance agreement "that reflects the company's great profits". As detailed by Col·lectiu Ronda in a statement, the company's economic situation is "extremely positive": last year it billed over 398 million euros packaging milk and sold the Gurb factory to Casa Tarradellas for 20.4 million. However, they denounce that the severance packages offered to employees are worth 3.5 million euros. "The company is not doing badly, so we understand that they must offer severance packages that allow workers to train in new specialties," assure the staff's lawyers.
Furthermore, the workers also explain that they remain open to studying a possible incorporation into Casa Tarradellas, despite denouncing that this situation "is being used" to avoid agreeing to a "fair severance". Casa Tarradellas' current offer, however, does not quite fit the workers' demands either: the Osona-based food group would have reserved up to 67 jobs for interested employees.
The fact is, however, that the jobs would not be linked to the Gurb plant, nor have the conditions under which they would be carried out been detailed, according to sources from the workers. "We are being asked to evaluate a supposed job alternative about which we know absolutely nothing," express the staff's representatives. The option of relocating to Aranda del Duero is almost ruled out by the majority of employees.
Should an agreement not be reached before the end of the consultation period, the staff's representation also assures that the workers are willing to "litigate the collective dismissal and take all necessary actions to defend their rights". Until now, the Gurb factory has been dedicated to packaging milk, although with the change of ownership, its activity is planned to be replaced by mozzarella production.