Renault unions have scheduled large demonstrations in Valladolid this Saturday (13 December) to protest against the company’s delay in assigning a new vehicle to the factory in central Spain, just-auto has learned.
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“There’s a lot of uncertainty and very bleak prospects for the factory,” an official with top union CCOO said, adding that Renault had failed to provide a clear viability plan for the plant, which is set to cut output to 380 daily units from 480 amid slumping sales for the VModus B-segment ‘super mini’ it makes.
Renault promised to award a new vehicle to Valladolid as part of the latest collective wage agreement for the site.
“We’ve asked the whole town to come out onto the streets and protest against the lack of clarity for the factory’s future,” the official said, adding that as many as 30,000 jobs (direct and indirect) could be jeopardised if the factory closes.
Renault has indicated it could make one of its new electric models at the site in 2014 but unions claim that won’t provide enough work as the life cycle of the Modus and other models ends before then.
Consequently, unions have called for the state to push Renault to say which models it plans to make in Valladolid “as soon as possible”.
Meanwhile, the automaker has idled its Seville gearbox factory for 30 days to adjust production to falling demand.
The site, shut on Thursday (11 December), will remain closed until 7 January. The stoppage will affect 1,200 workers who will be compensated under a flexible labour scheme.
Unions did not protest the move, saying it had been planned for months.
Ivan Castano Freeman
