The owner of Sargadelos threatens to close the historic ceramics factory due to a dispute with the Labor Inspectorate.

BarcelonaThe company that made Galician folk art fashionable closed one of its factories this Thursday, amid uncertainty about its future. A few days ago, the legendary Sargadelos ceramics factory received a notice from the Labor Inspectorate resulting in a "significant financial fine" for 36 sanctioning reasons for negligence or incorrect manufacturing procedures. The owner of the Galician company, Segismundo García, known for his stoicism and for having managed to refloat the company when it was completely bankrupt, responded by announcing the closure of one of its two factories, the most historic one, located in Cervo, Lugo, without clarifying that it will close the second one, in the town of Sada.

This Thursday, the workers at the Cervos plant reported to their workplace, but were unable to gain entry, as the factory was closed. The workers, who were starting their shift at 7:00 a.m., reported the case to the Labor Inspectorate, which confirmed that the plant was indeed closed. It should be noted that a company cannot close a workplace without notifying the public authorities, initiating a lengthy and complex legal process designed specifically to protect workers' rights. Subsequently, a representative of the workers met with the employer, who reportedly told them that the factory would reopen "next week," according to the version the workforce told the media gathered outside the facility. García was apparently responding in this way to pressure from the Galician regional government, which, despite emphasizing that employers must comply with the law and defending the actions of the Labor Inspectorate, has requested flexibility to redirect the conflict.

A conflict that began last week with a mysterious opinion piece. "This businessman would appreciate it if they would immediately seal off the facilities and stop the warnings and intimidation (...) but they will hardly take this step; from his long experience he knows that the destiny of the entrepreneur is to dodge the countless obstacles and impediments of the bureaucrats," said Segis. ProgressAt no point did García mention that the sarcastic article was referring to his company, nor that the businessman he's talking about in the third person is actually himself.

The closure of Sargadelos

The Labor Inspectorate's communication refers to the potential carcinogenic effects of the dust generated in the ceramics factory, for which it has imposed a €5,000 fine on the successful entrepreneur. García describes this figure as a "significant financial penalty," and has therefore decided to permanently close the company. The entrepreneur's decision was communicated to the Labor Inspectorate in a letter that once again veers between satire, mockery, and arrogance: "This taxpayer, now old and fed up, begs you not to be lenient with the demand for strict compliance with the law. However, I ask you not to ask you not to ask you."

García justifies the closure by the numerous renovations he would have to carry out to guarantee the safety of his workers, in addition to the 5,000 euro fine. "This management does not feel capable of carrying out all the works and requirements they demand of us," asserts the millionaire, who has opted to lay off his workers, despite the thousands of euros he will have to pay for the dismissal of the employees, an amount much higher than the required fine. "[The employer] appreciates the interest and concern [for his staff], but we are only missing one small detail: the economic viability of the company," he writes in the letter in which he notifies the Labor Inspectorate of the factory's closure.

Reactions in defense of the Sargadelos workers

The announcement of the closure of the iconic ceramics factory has not been well received by employees, who have asked to continue working. The Cervo facilities are declared a site of cultural interest. The employer's unexpected response has also prompted a reaction from the regional industrial union, Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), which has expressed its "total" support for the workforce and described the closure decision as "incomprehensible." It also reminded the employer that compliance with the Labor Inspectorate's ruling is not excluded. At the same time, the president of the Alcoa de San Cibrao works council has called on the Galician regional government to intervene: "It is not normal for an employer to wake up and decide to dismiss workers after receiving a €5,000 fine for violating 36 labor regulations." Pressure from the regional government is what may have made it possible to resolve the conflict.

55 years of inimitable ceramics

The origins of Sargadelos ceramics date back to the early 19th century, when Antonio Raimundo Ibáñez set up the factory's kilns in the town of Cervo, seeking to recover the ancestral geometric forms of the Galician region. However, after several generations took over from the founder, the company was forced to close in 1875. It wasn't until 1970 that the old Sargadelos factory was revived, maintaining the folkloric forms and blue tones pioneered by ceramist Isaac Díaz Pardo. This ability to adapt ancestral forms with a contemporary aesthetic has established Sargadelos as a leading ceramics company.