- The negotiation process highlighted the difficulties facing the global refining sector and Cepsa refining in particular, all of which have been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic
The negotiation of the Temporary Labor Force Adjustment Plan (ERTE) at Cepsa's La Rábida refinery ended in an agreement after a number of meetings with union representatives working on a negotiating committee.
This temporary adjustment, which will last until September 2021 and will affect 62 workers on the staff, will apply to a maximum of five jobs with rotating shifts and nine jobs with regular working hours, although 39 professionals will be simultaneously furloughed, as a rotation system will be established during this period.
The agreement adopted with the Workers' Representatives includes numerous measures in addition to the temporary suspension of contracts that will increase staff productivity, such as training and versatility, to contribute to employees broadening their professional skills. All of this is in the interest of improving the competitiveness of the refinery; it also means that the number of workers affected by the measure has been reduced to the minimum.
The global economic situation and that of refining in particular, aggravated by COVID-19, have affected the La Rábida Refinery much more than other European refineries as it produces more middle distillates (diesel and kerosene, the products most affected by the crisis). Refinery management made the decision in October not to start up Fuel Unit 1 and Vacuum Unit 2, after their mandatory technical maintenance shutdown, in order to reduce the amount of surplus product put on the market caused by the sudden drop in consumption; however, it will periodically reassess the situation in order to resume the activity of these units.
Management and union representatives are committed to dialog and the implementation, by consensus, of the organizational models set by the Company to keep the refinery in business and ensure its sustainability in the face of the challenging scenario to come in the coming years.