The transfer of Salvat's production to Madrid will result in 143 layoffs

BarcelonaA few weeks ago, the Catalan pharmaceutical company Salvat announced its intention to move its entire production capacity to the factory it has in Alcalá de Henares, in Madrid. The decision involves halting the production currently carried out at the Esplugues de Llobregat plant, where the pharmaceutical company has its headquarters. According to union sources speaking to ARA, the company and employees have agreed that the relocation will ultimately result in up to 143 layoffs at the Catalan plant. The layoffs will be carried out progressively until 2030, at which point the company plans to have relocated its entire production capacity to Madrid. Currently, between 300 and 350 people work at the Salvat laboratories center in Esplugues de Llobregat.

As the same sources explain, after the consultation period between the parties ended last week, during which the company proposed initiating a geographical mobility procedure for the Catalan workers, Salvat has agreed to compensate the employees with conditions "almost equal to those of an unfair dismissal." It should be noted that some workers could still reconsider a possible transfer to the Alcalá de Henares plant, but the housing situation and the workforce's roots in Catalonia make it difficult.

Five affected departments

Specifically, the pharmaceutical company will move the five departments that make up the operations area to Madrid: production, logistics (supply), quality control, quality assurance, and engineering, environment and safety. However, the family group highlights that it will keep its corporate headquarters, central offices, and research and development (R&D) activity in Catalonia.

When the company's plans were announced, Salvat justified the decision by ensuring that it responded to the need to "build a more agile, efficient and competitive organization, endowed with the necessary capabilities to respond to the growing demands of the pharmaceutical industry." Along these lines, the pharmaceutical company's CEO, Jordi Muntañola, stated that "the consolidation of the Alcalá de Henares plant represents a strategic decision for the future of Salvat and a decisive step in the execution of the 2030 Plan." "We need an industrial platform capable of accompanying our long-term ambitions," said Muntañola, who added: "We are building the foundations of the Salvat of the coming years."