The delegate of the Spanish government in the CAV met with the union representatives, following the meeting held on Thursday by the Basque government, the Gipuzkoa provincial council and the Zumaia municipal council.
The Chairman of the Works Council of Balenciaga Astilleros, David Tejeraon Friday urged institutions to get to work and do “everything possible” to make the company viable. “We have a workload and lack of funding to continue. It cannot be that they leave us aside now,” Tejera defended.
The delegate of the Spanish Government in the Basque Autonomous Community (CAV), Marisol Garmendiahad a meeting this Friday with trade union representatives of these shipyards in Zumaia (Gipuzkoa), after the meeting held yesterday by the Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the Zumaia Municipal Council, also with the Works Committee.
Yesterday, these three governments analyzed the situation that arose following the refusal of Cofides, the public entity that manages state funds to help companies, of the restructuring plan with which the company wanted to avoid bankruptcy.
Garmendia has warned that the solution to the complicated economic situation of Astilleros Balenciaga“It must come from the hands of all institutions, not only the government of Spain, but also the Basque government and the provincial council of Gipuzkoa, if the project is to be viable.”
Garmendia explained that he informed the employee representatives that the Ministries of Economy and Industry “They are working to search, evaluate and analyze all possible alternatives, within the legal framework, to preserve employment and the company’s activity.”
The representative of the Spanish Government has indicated that this solution must be so “efficient, feasible and acceptable to all parties”. “We must not forget that during the Covid pandemic, Balenciaga has already had the support of the state in very difficult times for the company,” he indicated.
Garmendia recalled that this assistance consisted of a loan of about 12 million of euros with the aim of implementing a viability plan by 2022, which he has indicated “has not been met”.
Garmendia added that “right now it is more important than ever to do that cautionThat is why he has refused “to make any demonstrations that could hinder this possible solution.” “Not everything is black and white, there are many grays and the company’s management will have its version,” he indicated.
The delegate of the Spanish government recalled that the legal framework regulating the European aid received by Balenciaga during the pandemic establishes a series of “obligations” that “set limits on the actions of public authorities, in this case the Government of Spain, when is not just about making these loans, but also about getting them back.
Garmendia, referring to Cofides rejection in accordance with the shipyard’s restructuring plan, has indicated that this public-private partnership, which provides medium and long-term financing to private investments, “does not do anything that is not protected and as mandated by European regulations and standards.”
For its part, the Basque government yesterday he showed his “total commitment” for working on the search for an investor who can launch an industrial project, “viable and sustainable over time”, that provides continuity to the company’s activity and, “above all, that ensures employment and that it is of quality is”.
After the meeting, all parties also expressed their rejection of the proposal “unyielding” attitude of Cofidesgiven the situation of the shipyard, “despite all the efforts of the Basque Government, so that this position does not lead us to the worst scenario in which we are currently”, sources from the Ministry of Industry.
Source: EITB
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