The Basque Government wants to ensure that the possible redundancies of Vicinay workers do not exceed 20%

The Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability of the Basque Government, Mikel Jauregi, has assured us that the Executive will "do everything in its power" to ensure that the possible redundancies of Vicinay workers in the Basque Country do not exceed 20%.

This was stated this Friday by the councillor at the monitoring session of the Basque Parliament, in response to questions from EH Bildu about the industrial future of the company Vicinay.

Jáuregui stressed that the Basque Government has allocated EUR 7.5 million to the ECN All Wind project and has provided EUR 8.7 million in supplements through EKARPEN to try to resolve the issue.

In this regard, he explained that the purchase of Vicinay is the first operation of ECN All Wind as part of a broader growth strategy to invest EUR 100 million ina new plant that will create 100 jobs in Álava.

"We decided to look for an industrial opportunity, and now Vicinay has a second option, thanks to the commitment of the industrialist Dámaso Quintana, together with investors from a division specializing in offshore wind and electrical transmission and distribution networks, ECN All Wind, which also appears to be experiencing significant growth in the coming years, "he said.

Finally, Jáuregui has pointed out that "it is impossible to make speculative use of the land in Vicinay. "" I know that some people, I don't know why, are saying it, but it is not possible, "he said.

The works council reiterates its opposition to redundancies

A delegation from the works council of Vicinay Marine in Sestao appeared before the media this Friday in the Basque Parliament, where it opposed the two employment regulations, considering it "unfair" that workers "assume the consequences of the company's problems after years of sacrifices, inactivity and wage freeze."

On the other hand, he points out that although the management justifies the situation by the loss of an application equivalent to three months 'work, "this cannot automatically justify the dismissal of 60 people without first examining the order book, future projects and other solutions."

In addition, he has called for "transparency" on the future of the company's land and on decisions related to the operation with which businessman Dámaso Quintana bought all of Vicinay's shares.

No layoffs.

In the same vein, EH Bildu MP Ander Goikoetxea has pointed out that the planned growth in the activity of the energy sectors makes it possible to increase offshore wind activity by 25% , so he has questioned "the sense of laying off almost half of the workers, with the Basque Government being part of the company's ownership".

He has therefore called on the Basque Government to 'develop a serious industrial project in which jobs can be maintained and jobs not lost'. 'The Government has a very significant involvement in this industrial project and we understand that if it took part in the operation in July it was because it was based on a serious industrial plan,' he said.