The Almussafes works council seals the agreement with Ford and the union division

The preliminary labor agreement reached between UGT, the majority union of the Valencian Ford factory in Almussafes to try to ensure the arrival of future electric models and ensure their future, it’s official. The works council has given the go-ahead to this agreement that includes salary containment and more flexibility in working hours, in addition to 15 more minutes of work per day from 2025 if that workload is specified.

An agreement that has gone ahead with the votes of the UGT, which has more than 90% of the representationand the rejection of the rest of the unions of the works council: STM, CCOO y CGT. In fact, these unions have made their rejection of the agreement publicly clear in a statement in which they ask that the negotiations be reopened and that a referendum be held among the entire workforce.

For these unions, the agreement contemplates in practice a wage freeze for the next few years and an increase in the number of Saturdays that can be worked, which represents the largest job cut in the history of the American brand factory.

The referendum question

A sample of the union division in the plant, where the majority of UGT has made that in the last agreements and big agreements the role of the rest of the unions has been residual. From UGT they consider that the agreement was endorsed by a consultation carried out last week through digital channels and in which 4,193 employees participated, 70.22% of the total number of employees according to the union, almost all members of the union itself. Of them, 74.96% (3,143 workers) voted in favor and just 2.4% (102) against.

The union assured that the rest of the forces were offered to carry out the new referendum if they agreed to accept the result of the polls and assume it as their vote in the committee, something that, according to UGT sources, was not accepted. The union considers that it makes no sense that after the deadline given by Ford to present the conditions to bid with Saarlouis, the workload now considers reopening the talks.

The agreement between the majority union UGT and the company contemplates that during the next four years wages will be decoupled from the CPI and an accumulated rise of 7,000 euros will be contemplated until 2025, which will not be consolidated.

Swords held high until June

Despite this pact, from UGT they consider that the pulse will not end until the Ford management decides which plant assumes the new models of the platform and for this they propose to hold meetings with the Administration and other entities seeking to reinforce the options of Almussafes against Germany .

Among these extra factors is the possibility of installing a battery gigafactory near the Valencian plant to ensure its supply, but also other measures that could benefit Ford’s investment. The matrix of the oval brand has announced that it will announce its decision in June.