The document is expected to be signed next week. The vote was 132 in favour of the pre-agreement, three against and one abstention.
The workers at the Bimbo plant in Valladolid (Spain) have ratified by a large majority the pre-agreement reached yesterday with the company that will be signed, in principle, next week.
This was announced by the president of the Company Committee, Félix Fernández, in statements collected by Europa Press near the facilities located on Pirita Street in the San Cristóbal Industrial Estate. The result of the vote was 132 votes in favour of the pre-agreement, three against and one abstention.
However, the atmosphere at the factory is "not good." "There is uncertainty. They have validated the agreement and we believe that by doing so they consider that the points we wanted have been reached and that the impact should be as small as possible. But there is doubt and uncertainty because they still don't know what they are going to do," said the workers' representative.
In line with these words, he explained that the pre-agreement had been detailed point by point because "everyone" asked about their "personal situation" and details had to be given of the pension plans, transfers, compensations or possible relocations. "It was a matter of detailing point by point everything that was in the pre-agreement, explaining it and resolving the doubts that had arisen," he stressed.
Regarding relocations to other plants, the president of the Works Council believes that the workers will make their decision between "this weekend and next week", although he has the "impression" that there are some staff "interested" in this option.
The deadline for the employee to communicate a final decision ends, in principle, on November 30, although, if the investor's signature is not consolidated by November 15, this deadline would be extended until December 15.
Regarding the latter aspect, that of the investor's signature, Félix Fernández has stated that he does not know "who it is". "We do not know anything as of today, neither the company it is, nor what it will do, nor the conditions. We have been told that the deal is practically closed. It remains to be consolidated and signed, of course," he concluded.
In any case, the plant will cease its activity on December 31, as he has assured, "and an extension process will be opened until February 28, in case of dismantling for the possible activation of another company."
PRE-AGREEMENT
The pre-agreement ratified today includes relocations to the different Bimbo Group plants, of which "at least 41" will be in the Medina del Campo centre, as well as early retirement from the age of 55, according to an announcement made yesterday by CCOO.
In addition, a reindustrialisation plan is being proposed which would consist of an investor setting up a company that will have at least 50 jobs at the Bimbo facilities in the San Cristóbal industrial estate.
As for early retirement and pension plans, it would affect workers aged 55. "It would be an exit by percentage brackets. Workers between 55 and 58 years old would have 85% of the net salary, workers aged 59 years old 90% and those over 60 years old 95%. There are people who in the pension plans, which are calculated on compensation, would not reach the amounts and there are contributions between 10,000, 5,000 and 6,000 euros to be able to supplement it," the president of the Company Committee stressed.
Finally, for workers with little seniority, "a lump sum compensation has been obtained so that they can get out better off."
