Izar Group split

Only private capital can save the La Naval shipyard in Sestao, one of the yards in the Izar Group, following an announcement by the Spanish government to split up the group and sell off the civil shipyards. This provoked an angry response by the unions who said they will call on the workers to mobilise if they don?t have an industrial plan on which all parties can agree.

The unions confirmed the demands they made long ago that SEPI (State Industrial Participation Corporation) should maintain “all the jobs” both in the civil shipyards as well as in the ancillary industries. They also warned that it would be “absolutely absurd” to turn down the orders placed by the European Commission (EC). Brussels has signed contracts with the Spanish government for 250,000 tonnes of shipbuilding and it was hoped that SEPI could use this contract to revitalise the commercial newbuilding sector.

However, the government wants to put civil shipyards mainly in the hands of private investors and the unions were told during yesterday?s meeting that the new business, which has already been registered in Madrid, includes the yards in Ferrol, Cartagena and Puerto Real in C?diz. Yards at Sestao, Gijon, Seville, Fene and San Fernando and Izar?s propulsion business in Manises will all have to find private investors. SEPI did, however, refer to the possibility of establishing mixed shipyards which can be publicly and privately owned, as long as the majority investment is in private hands. SEPI also said it was prepared to discuss the industrial plan with the unions, but it did make clear, however, that civil and naval shipyard would definitely be separated.

To make the situation even more unsettled, SEPI advised the unions that, even if they secured private capital, the number of shipyard workers would be cut back. La Naval would receive the full brunt of these “reductions” and the Sestao unions were prepared to take industrial action.