GM resigns 598 employees in São José dos Campos

General Motors (GM) confirmed yesterday the resignation of 598 workers who were, since August, away from car production line at industrial complex in Sao Jose dos Campos, in the State of São Paulo. 748 group employees who had their work contracts suspended in the scheme known as "lay off" the automaker secured the return of only 150 entitled to stability-that is, those who have been injured on the job or in post-retirement phase.
The decision was expected, but the automaker has tried to be discreet in the ad. First, reported the shutdowns during the afternoon, when the local Union has informed the Court of more than 500 people. After that, denied interviews to journalists.
On the other hand the workers reaction was noisy. The syndicate of the metalurgists of São José dos Campos ranked layoffs as "unjustifiable", spared no criticism of the President Dilma Rousseff-accused of not intervening in the case, despite the incentives by the Government to the automotive industry-and has vowed to fire the Prosecutors to try to reverse some of the shutdowns.
The cut in the GM happens at the time when the mark fails to follow closely the evolution of the market-since last year, grows less than the industry average. But the situation of St. Joseph is due more to the confrontational relationship with trade unionists in the region than a matter of demand.
The company cut 10% of 7.5 thousand employees it had in the region. For local Union decision is unjustifiable
In the absence of more flexible labour relations, the complex of St. Joseph-who was selling House Chevette-came out of the route of GM's investments, losing projects for the factories of São Caetano do Sul (SP) and Gravataí (RS). The unit ceased to participate in the renewal of the portfolio of passenger cars of the brand and the sector known as MVA (Motor Vehicle Assembly) went on to produce only the Classic sedan with the retirement last year of models Corsa, Meriva and Zafira.
Faced with a surplus of manpower that arrived to surpass 1.8 thousand employees, the solution found in August was 925 workers away while not reaching an agreement that would give competitiveness to the factory. Since then, about 180 employees of "lay off" have left the company on its own, within the program of voluntary layoffs (PDV).
For those who got up yesterday, GM will have to pay a fine equivalent to three salaries to each fired. Adding layoffs with the workers of "lay off" who joined the POS, the downsizing in the workforce in San Jose goes from 10% of 7.5 thousand employees who were in the factory a year ago.
The shutdown of 598 employees is from the zero hour on Wednesday, said the President of the syndicate of the metalurgists of São José dos Campos, Antonio Ferreira de Barros best known as Macapá. In the Group of 150 already held by stability, 137 return immediately and 13 others are away by Social Security, said the trade union leader.
The Union, however, argues that the total number of employees is 300 stable, twice the number expected by the company.
Macapá said that already had the relationship of these employees to GM, which forwarded the list to the Medical Department to analyze each case. Unionists report that will trigger the Prosecutor to put the workers not covered by the automaker off the list.
Yesterday, after the announcement of the cuts, the Union said in a statement that GM has no reason to resign because the employees have done overtime in the factory and the company follows importing from Korea, Argentina and Mexico vehicles that could be mounted on the unit. "If these cars were produced here, the situation would be quite different. Rather than dismiss, GM would have to hire at least 3 thousand workers, "said the organisation.
According to Macapá, layoffs at GM will cause a negative impact of $ 50 million a year into the economy of the city. That number, he said, includes wages and PLR (profit).
The aide of Mayor's Office in São José dos Campos, Paul Roitberg, said that the Municipal Government will support the process of replacement of laid-off workers. "We will register these employees at customer service Worker (PAT), offer retraining courses and guide them to the opening of new business."
Roitberg said that when a new agreement between the Union and GM, in January this year, the automaker has agreed to come back to invest in Sao Jose dos Campos when there was the decision to produce a new model in Brazil. The assessment is that the impact of layoffs is not so traumatic as the auto parts chain had been tuning.
As the President of the commercial and Industrial Association of São José dos Campos (ACI), Felipe Cury said fear a domino effect in the auto parts sector, if GM decides to close the MVA sector after December.