Government calls for new job search for those affected by Vicinay ERE

The Basque Governmenthas asked its partners at ECN All Wind to seek an opportunity to relocate the workers affected by theEmployment Regulation Dossier (ERE) proposed in Vicinay n\ u00A0to other companies in the group, as stated by the Vice-Minister for Industrial Promotion, Andoitz Korta , at a meeting with the works council on Thursday, in which the Basque Government reiterated its commitment tomaintain a future industrial project and mitigate the impact of redundancies.

Vicinay's management has proposed an extinction ERE for 60 of the 128 workers at its Sestao plant, accounting for almost half of the workforce, and a temporary employment regulation dossier (ERTE) for the rest of the workforce until July 2027. The meeting with Korta, requested by workers' representatives, has served to analyse the company's situation and the possible consequences of the announced measures.

During the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor conveyed the solidarity and support of the Basque Government to the workers and their families and recalled that the Executive has been working with the company for more than two years to prevent its closure and argued that the institutional intervention made it possible to ensure its continuity. Vicinay explained that six months ago he suffered a competitive situation that forced his liquidation until the businessman Dámaso Quintana opted to buy it, with the support of the Basque Government and the Contributions Fund.

Korta has stressed that the entry of these three into the capital of Vicinay, through ECN All Wind, prevented the company from closing down and the dismissal of some 200 workers. In this context, he has defended the investment led by Quintana, which reached 60 million euros and allowed the reorganisation of the company's debt.

The Vice Chancellor has also highlighted the growth prospects of ECN All Wind, a group specializing in offshore wind and transmission and electricity distribution networks, which recently announced an investment of EUR 100 million for the construction of a new plant in Álava with a forecast of 100 job creation. In this context, the Government believes that the incorporation of Vicinay into a larger industrial group could open up possibilities for the relocation of some workers affected by the ERE.

Finally, Korta has argued that negotiations on the dossier should take place between the management of the company and the works council, without creating "parallel tables or unrealistic expectations". He has also clarified that the participation of the Basque Government in the capital does not make Vicinay a public company, nor does it mean that jobs can be guaranteed.