Source: El Faro de Vigo
Last week, the Spanish Provincial Court of Pontevedra has set a deadline of one month from the ruling date to auction Alfageme’s two factories, equipment, its main brand ‘Miau’ and other related brands and designs.
With this resolution, the sale of the cannery is now possible and critical issues for the Alfageme workers have been resolved. The liquidation process has been released and there’s a real possibility of resuming factory activities, said a spokesman from the CGT trade union.
Since last spring, the also Spanish canning company Consorcio has been waiting for the ruling with its bid to buy Bernardo Alfageme S.A., which would guarantee new activity in the factories. Consorcio’s bid is being backed up by the Ministry of Economy and Industry and also has the support of the workers, as it offers a viable business plan and is committed to maintaining the 150 jobs linked to Alfageme.
However, Consortio plans to make several factory renovations, which are needed before starting operations. So, even when the deal has actually taken place, the staff will still probably have to wait several months to return to work.
The situation is desperate for the employees, because their unemployment benefits terminated several months ago. Furthermore, the staff consists mostly of women in their 50’s who have mainly been working at Alfageme for many years. In recent months the workers have drawn attention to their situation, as many are reaching the limits of their means. In addition, entering the job market is especially difficult for them, not only because of the 20% unemployment in Spain, but additionally because of their age and lack of experience in other sectors.
Consorcio’s offer is for Euro 33 million.