The Cerealto Siro Group and the works council of the Venta de Baños biscuit plant (Palencia) have reached an agreement by which they will continue the activity in this factory in which 200 people work after months of “intense dedication to the search for a solution”, as reported by the multinational.
Cerealto and the works council have confirmed in a brief statement that, after months of intense dedication to finding a solution for the Venta de Baños biscuit plant, they have agreed to keep the factory open.
This plant, in which only cookies are manufactured and two hundred people work directly, was left out of the June 2022 agreement to maintain activity in the group’s plants in Castilla y León because it was the least competitive.
During this time, work has been done on the search for solutions that would give continuity to the activity and employment to avoid the closure of the factory, scheduled for 2024 if a viable solution was not found. Finally, after numerous meetings between the company, the workers and the public administrations, this Saturday it was announced that the factory will remain open.
As stated in the statement collected by EFE, this has been possible thanks to the willingness, work and joint effort of Cerealto and the works council, as well as the support of the Venta de Baños City Council, the Junta de Castilla y León and the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce.
The workforce, through a vote, ratified this past Friday the agreement between Cerealto and the workers’ representatives with the implementation of measures to guarantee productive activity. It includes, among other things, an investment plan that will take shape over the next few months and will entail progressive improvements to the factory’s facilities and machinery.
For its part, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism has celebrated, through another statement, this outcome, benefits for workers and the economic development of the Palencia town. The Ministry has conveyed its gratitude for the willingness and joint effort of Cerealto, the works council and the rest of the institutions that have facilitated understanding between the company and the workers, such as the Venta de Baños City Council and the Junta de Castilla and Leon.
“Coordination between administrations and co-governance have been key within the framework of a common objective, which is to protect jobs and promote economic development in the area,” the ministry added. The multinational Cerealto, dedicated to the manufacture of biscuits, cereals, snacks and pasta, has production plants in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Mexico, where 3,000 people work and some 250,000 tons of products are produced annually.
