Saint-Gobain Sekurit Portugal shuts down and lays off 130 workers – companies

Saint-Gobain Sekurit announced on Tuesday the halting of production activity in Portugal “due to accumulated losses in recent years”, after it had already begun the process of mass dismissals of 130 workers.

“Saint-Gobain Sekurit Portugal will cease its production activity due to the accumulated losses in recent years, caused by the crisis in the automotive sector and exacerbated by the low competitiveness of the company’s products compared to its competitors in the international market,” he says. in the current situation.

According to him, the process of mass dismissal of 130 workers has already begun, through official communication with the Workers’ Committee and the General Directorate of Employment and Labor Relations (DGERT).

According to the company, “Given the situation that over the past few years has resulted in the punishment of workers, whose wages have been frozen, Saint-Gobain Sekurit Portugal will propose compensation higher than those provided by law, in addition to benefits that are complementary to the value of the compensation that helps, in a way What, to compensate for the loss of jobs.”

Between 2018 and 2020, the auto glass manufacturer – which is located in Santa Iria da Azoya, in the municipality of Llores – says it incurred a loss of 8.5 million euros, covered by shareholders “through successive financing”.

The company adds that in 2019, it recorded “a decrease in the volume of business by 18%, which is equivalent to a decrease of 10 million euros, which increased in 2020 with a decrease of 37%, which is less by about 17 million euros.”

He asserts that “all the company’s financial indicators are negative and are not expected to be reversed in the coming years, which puts pressure on other units in the group, which supports the losses of Saint-Gobain Securit Portugal.”

In Portugal, the Saint-Gobain Group currently employs about 800 employees spread over 11 companies and eight factories, with a turnover of 180 million euros.

The group states that in Maya it began the construction of a new plant for Saint-Gobain Abracivos, with an area of ​​9,000 square meters, the modernization of the industrial zone and the glass-transforming furnace in the Cofibor production unit, in Santo Tirso.

Also more recently, the group says it has completed the increase in production capacity of its pulp line at its Saint-Gobain Portugal SA unit in Aveiro, and is expanding the picking warehouse at this company’s unit in Carregado, “which will become 1,854 square metres, with the aim of creating new work areas.” “.

He stressed that “between the ongoing projects and the newly developed projects, the investments exceeded seven million euros.”

Regarding Saint-Gobain Securit Portugal, the group notes that “the problems are more than a decade old, as the company has been the target of several restructurings in an effort to minimize structural and operating expenses”.

“So far, it has only been possible to keep the company going with the understanding and participation of the workers and through the continued capitalization of the company by the partners. However, the covid-19 epidemic has exacerbated the already fragile situation, leading to a significant downturn in the auto market, with no potential for recovery in the short, medium and long term,” he explains.