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Workers strike over R32 plant closure

Arkema plant, Zamarillo. Spain
Arkema’s plant in Zamarillo, Spain, is due to close by the end of the year

SPAIN: Workers at the Arkema refrigerant plant in Zaramillo, Spain, have gone on indefinite strike following the company’s announcement to close the plant.

Demonstration are also planned for next week outside the headquarters of the Department of Industry of the Basque Government in Bilbao, following the notice of plant closure made on September 9 and redundancy of 59 workers.

Arkema says the plant is undersized and loss-making, finding it difficult to compete with plants in the USA and China.

The ELA union argues that the plant is profitable and claims that there are no economic or productive reasons in a company that has distributed €200m in dividends in 2012 and 2013.

The union has also accused the management of acting in bad faith by considering making an additional 11 employees redundant at its Spanish hq in Madrid in the ERE.

Related news:

Arkema to close Spanish R32 plantSeptember 9, 2014
SPAIN: French refrigerant manufacturer Arkema is to close its loss-making HFC plant in Zaramillo, Spain. Read more…

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