Noa de la Torre Valencia

Valencia

Updated Thursday, March 28, 2024-11:00

  • Valencia Ford management guarantees the future of the Almussafes plant within its electrification plan

"The main thing is resolved, which does not mean that everything is resolved." This is the assessment that, broadly speaking, summarizes what happened this Wednesday in

Dunton

(England) for UGT, the majority union of the Valencian

Ford Almussafes

plant . The meeting between Ford's global and European management leadership and the union representatives has served to clear the future of the Valencian factory which, for the moment, returns with a promise under its arm that guarantees its immediate future.

Specifically, the manufacture of a new "passenger vehicle", as advanced in a joint statement by the European Works Council. Hence,

UGT

highlights that "there will be solutions for Almussafes." "Although, logically, it will not be a matter of a few days," according to these sources.

The top-level meeting in Dunton has put on the table the great challenge facing the European automotive industry, with an eye on the "emerging competitors" in

Asia

and the delay in electrification plans. The low market demand in this case explains the postponement of investments in this sense, which is precisely what kept Almussafes on the tightrope. We must not forget that in mid-April the Valencian plant will stop producing the

Transit

van . Only the production of the

Kuga

would remain in its portfolio

.

However, "Almussafes will have a new vehicle and will maintain a sufficient workload," according to UGT sources, who underline the "commitment" of the CEO of Ford Motor Company,

Jim Farley

, to Almussafes. The decision to award it a new model "demonstrates the company's commitment to Valencia", according to the union. The staff, these sources insist, "enjoys the respect and recognition of world management."

Now, the parties have scheduled an upcoming meeting on April 10 in

Cologne

(Germany), where this new company roadmap is expected to be finalized. In the case of Ford Almussafes, it remains to be seen how many units of the new vehicle will have to be manufactured, the employment that its production will guarantee or the date of the investments, as well as the launch of the new model.

These are not minor issues, since the maintenance of the entire workforce currently depended on the increase in workload after the halt in electrification plans. Almussafes won the internal battle that it had to fight with the German factory in

Saarlouis

for the award of the electric models. However, the scenario of uncertainty has since caused Almussafes to have had to approve an ERE for 1,124 people, which also did not prevent, for example, part of the workforce from now being affected by an ERTE.

Hence, the

Automotive and Mobility Cluster of the Valencian Community

(AVIA) has issued a first positive assessment of Ford's announcement. For its president

Francisco Segura

, "the news that Almussafes welcomes the manufacture of a new model is always positive." "However, it is important to know the dates on which manufacturing will begin and the volumes of work," he added.

Segura has insisted that "for AVIA associates it is very important to know the dates and volumes precisely to be able to correctly plan the work of all suppliers." The president of AVIA, who on several occasions has shown his confidence that Ford will develop the Valencian plant sooner rather than later, has recognized that "this announcement is important to maintain confidence that the Almussafes plant remains in the development plans of the multinational".