The Cluster of the Automotive industry, warning of new cuts and loss of investment and calls for measures to maintain templates

The Council advocates an “orderly transition” towards the ban of the current cars

The Government of Pedro Sanchez has put the expiry date to the combustion engine. Or, what is the same, to the cars, diesel, petrol and hybrid, which may not be sold from 2040 onwards. The aim of the draft of the Law on Climate Change is that in 2050 no car which is driven on the roads emit carbon dioxide, so that only they will survive the 100% electric and hydrogen. Only the announcement has led, once more, a real earthquake in the sector of valencia from the car. And all this when still trying to digest the shock wave that will lead to the restructuring of Ford, and its consequences for the valencia plant Almussafes.

The secretary regional Sustainable Economy, Blanca Marin, said yesterday in statements to this newspaper, that “since Industry and energy is planning to establish additional measures that are set by the Ministry and the European Union”. That is to say, the valencian Government -that by 2019 account with increased direct aid to Ford to 23.3 million euros – is not expected to get ahead in the time limits set by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, something that will make for example the Balearic islands. “We believe that it should facilitate an orderly transition of the industry towards the new environmental paradigm and energy,” said Marin.

however, Monica Alegre, president of the Cluster of Automotive of the Valencian Community (AVIA) in which it integrates Ford, called for “prudence” to the Administration at the time of launch announcements of such impact. Merry admitted, in fact, the “significance that may have on employment and on the investments that the large companies can make in the Valencian Community”.

In a scenario of uncertainty and of falling sales and production -the threat of cuts in Ford has already been transferred to the auxiliary industry of valencia-, there is no doubt that the new path marked by the Government may lead to new layoffs. “The sector is experiencing a profound transformation and companies are working in this direction, but the authorities should be prudent and not jeopardize thousands of jobs both in the Valencian Community, as in the rest of the Spanish territory”, he stressed Alegre. And he pointed out: “And precisely at a time of falling demand in all the european continent”.

This is what has led to the multinational Ford to ask the trade unions for a restructuring of its business in Europe, which is expected to give more details today at a meeting between the management and the works council in Cologne. If the nervousness has already been extended between 7.800 employees of the factory in Almussafes-that are now facing a record regulation of temporary employment (ERTE) – the announcement of the central Government adds a plus of concern. This has been confirmed by the representative of CCOO in Almussafes, José Miguel Arocas, which reminds us that only in the engine plant in Almussafes working almost 1,200 people.

On the prohibition of the cars pollutant, said: “This type of ad does not help anything and will involve a tsunami, with the resulting surplus of staff.” And he insisted: when the central Government said for the first time the finger of blame at the diesel engines, the sales of cars plummeted. “This led to a lowering of the production, to the records of regulation of employment…”, he warned. The latest announcement, therefore, does not cease to be another stone in the road.

Adaptation

hence, the president of the Cluster of Automotive requested that advertisements of this type go, “accompanied by other measures of economic and labour to maintain the competitiveness and above all to ensure the employment”. In any case, he stressed that the valencian industry is adapting to the new context: “we Know the trends of the market and we know that the future of the automobile passes through the reduction of fossil fuels in favor of electric”.

For Monica Alegre, it is also true that “the horizon has marked the Government for the year 2040 is sufficiently far away as to the valencian companies are prepared, given that we have already spent years working on these adaptations.” He also launched a message of peace of mind, since for certain components of the automobile, this change will not mean anything or even provides them with more business opportunities”.

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