This is not the time to give up on plants that are among the most profitable in the group. Instead, we must exploit all possibilities provided by the brand new €750 billion recovery instrument that was proposed by the European Commission on 27 May to kick-start the economy and to support the automotive ecosystem in its drive towards sustainable mobility.

IndustriAll European Trade Union condemns in the strongest terms the decision of car manufacturer Nissan to close three production plants in Barcelona, Spain. This decision will lead to a loss of 3,000 direct jobs and a further 20,000 jobs in the supply chain.

A large-scale restructuring was announced already several months ago affecting more than 12,000 jobs worldwide. It is part of the global strategy of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Alliance that has placed the European continent under the leadership of Renault.

The announcement came as a shock to the European Works Council (EWC) who had not been informed and only found out via the press. It appears that the company is not planning any meeting to inform and consult its EWC. Workers and their unions feel let down by this blatant disregard for European social dialogue and disrespect for the thousands of workers and their families whose lives will be heavily affected by this decision.

IndustriAll Europe together with IndustriALL Global Union have previously expressed support and solidarity with Nissan workers in Barcelona that went on strike to protest against the failure of management to negotiate a fair and viable solution for both the company and the employees of the Nissan Group. IndustriAll Europe also wrote to EU Commissioners Thierry Breton (Internal Market) and Nicolas Schmit (Jobs and Social Rights) requesting meetings to discuss the situation in Spain, and the implications for European automotive workers. 

We are dismayed at Nissan’s obvious lack of willingness to consider alternative solutions and this at a time when Europe is initiating an ambitious recovery plan aimed at mobilising resources to bring its economy back on track, to protect and create jobs in Europe. It also comes at a time when trade unions and European industry associations in the automotive sector are joining forces calling for an ambitious recovery plan for the automotive sector based on reviving production and supporting the industry towards a carbon-neutral future in line with the Green Deal and Europe’s climate objectives.

Luc Triangle, General Secretary of industriAll Europe comments:

“This is not the time to give up on plants that are among the most profitable in the group. Instead, we must exploit all possibilities provided by the brand new €750 billion recovery instrument proposed by the European Commission on 27 May to kick-start the economy and to support the automotive ecosystem in its drive towards sustainable mobility. No worker, no plant, no sector and no region should be left behind!”

IndustriAll Europe will continue to support the workers of Nissan and their unions in their fight to maintain operations in Spain. Together, we call on the Spanish, Catalan and municipal institutions to work towards a solution and a perspective for the workers and more than 20,000 families who depend on the continuity of the company.

Contact: Andrea Husen-Bradley, press and communication