Dodaj nową odpowiedź
Spain: The Situation in Viajes Marsans
Akai47, Pią, 2010-07-23 05:29 English
In June, Viajes Marsans travel agency announced that it would slash up to two-thirds of its workforce; about 1500 people could lose their jobs. Marsans had been experiencing troubles; in 2008 Argentina seized Aerolineas Argentinas from Marsans, and the situation grew worse last December when Air Comet shut down due to massive debts, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The company lost its license with IATA to sell plane tickets in April and became insolvent. Viajes Marsans filed for bankruptcy after being sold by the president of Spain’s main CEOE business federation, Gerardo Diaz Ferran, to Posibilitum. The new owners announced restructuring.
Even before this announcement, workers had been organizing and protesting. CNT commissions were set up. A few large demonstrations were held already in the spring.
In June the workers did not receive wages. In July, the company paid some workers only 480 euros for June so it still owes back payments. The CNT is hoping that the company will regulate its debts to employees in August.
The CNT also accused the new owners of the company of wanting to use money from the Wage Guarantee Fund (Fogasa) as investment capital to improve the condition of the firm so that they may sell off their assets. After some more protests and a workers' occupation of the general headquarters of the company, negotiations about compensation for the workers were held. On July 21 there was a preliminary agreement concerning 947 dismissed employees who would receive 32 days compensation per year employed, up to a total of 30 months. Up to twelve months of this compensation would be paid for by the Fund (Fogasa), while the remaining eighteen are to be paid with money obtained from the sale of the company's assets. The compensation is limited to 70,000 euro per employee.
In the afternoon, over 400 Marsan employees from Madrid, about half of its workforce, met to discuss this proposal.
498 additional employees were not dismissed but the company's receivers adviced them to lay these people off. They are supposed to resume work when the company resumes business.
More on the conflict (in Spanish): http://sovmadrid.cnt.es
Video from May 6 protest:
