UGT union disputes Mahle layoff negotiations in Spain

The UGT FICA union has denounced the management of automotive component manufacturer Mahle for acting in “bad faith” regarding a proposed collective redundancy process (ERE) in Motilla del Palancar, Cuenca.

The plan involves the dismissal of 170 workers. The union criticized the company for communicating the initial news via a screen and for scheduling negotiation meetings at the SIMA Foundation in Madrid rather than at the affected plant or within the province of Cuenca.

UGT argues that moving negotiations away from the local area is an attempt to “subdue and exhaust” worker representatives and avoid social pressure. This follows a previous layoff of 466 employees at the same site within the last twelve months. The union has stated it will not accept any location other than the factory or the Cuenca Mediation, Arbitration, and Conciliation Service (SMAC) and may take legal action or boycott upcoming meetings.