4 December, 2020After unions announced strike action, the company made an offer which the unions accepted.
Earlier this week, the three IndustriALL Global Union affiliates at Spanish energy company Repsol - UGT FICA, CCOO de Industria and USO – announced they would take strike action to defend jobs and working conditions.
The company had broken with the tradition of consensual industrial relations by unilaterally announcing the closure of 16 commercial centres in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas division, Repsol Butano, with more than 100 customer-facing and administrative jobs. The commercial centres are branch offices where customers can talk directly to company representatives about services provided.
After the unions jointly announced strike action, the company made a new offer: three centres will remain open. The rest will close, but the workers will be able to keep their jobs, with a mixture of teleworking and commuting to other workplaces, depending on their job role. In some cases, workers have to move to a different city. They will receive an ongoing compensation payment for the first year.
The company also has committed to maintaining Repsol Butano as part of the Repsol Group until the end of the 2025 strategic review, which should ensure four years of industrial harmony.
The unions accepted the offer and called off the strike.
IndustriALL energy director Diana Junquera Curiel said:
“IndustriALL is very pleased that Repsol has modified its proposal and returned to a consensual way of managing relations with its loyal workforce.
“The new offer the company has made is reasonable, and it is something that the unions can work with. We look forward to maintaining and building on this good relationship.”