Salvador Illa says he will do "whatever it takes" to preserve jobs at Seat

BarcelonaThe President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, explained this Friday that he is in contact with the top officials of the Volkswagen group and Seat in Catalonia and that the Government will do "whatever it takes" to preserve the company's jobs in Catalonia.

He stated this in a media briefing during his institutional trip to Ukraine, after the Volkswagen Group Supervisory Board approved on Thursday, unanimously, the Future Plan 2030, a transformation program that includes a global workforce capacity adjustment of approximately 50,000 jobs. According to information published in the German press, the adjustment plan could also lead to the disappearance of the Seat brand, which, however, would not affect the continuity of the Martorell factory.

In this sense, Illa recalled that this industry and its jobs are "essential" to the Catalan economy and that the Government will do everything in its power to preserve them. On Thursday, faced with reports about the possible disappearance of the Catalan brand, the Seat works council asked for the involvement of the Catalan and Spanish administrations to save it.

For his part, the Minister of Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, stressed this Friday that "Seat represents much more than a brand" and reaffirmed his "commitment to the automotive industry, its workers, and the industrial ecosystem that surrounds it". In a message on the X network, Minister Sàmper assured that the Government will follow "closely all decisions that affect the company". "Seat represents much more than a brand: it is industry, employment, innovation, and an essential part of Catalonia's economic history", he remarked, in reference to the alleged intention of the Volkswagen group to eliminate the Seat brand starting in 2029.