The multinational American justified the closure for the losses of the past four years

DuPont announced on 15 March the closure of two plants in the Catalan towns of Ruby and Polinyá, as part of a plan that includes the closure of another plant in the Netherlands and a laboratory in Germany. DuPont plans, which also include the reorganization of the operations of its Coatings Division, involve the dismissal of around 1,500 people in total, most of them in Europe, and it allows the company savings per year in some 165 million dollars.

Polinyá plant, in Barcelona

According to DuPont said in a statement, closures of plants is carried out in the next 18 months, and "the greatest possible number of employees will be relocated to other plants and functions within the company". "In case that this relocation will not be possible, employees will receive assistance from DuPont in accordance with local practices of each country", says the company.

For the moment, DuPont has not specified how many jobs expected to delete in each of the plants to close. Along with plants of Ruby and Polinyá, DuPont will close the Dutch factory in Breda and the laboratory Hellac in Germany.

1,500 Announced layoffs will be joining the 200 that had already communicated the company in February, as a result of the closure of a laboratory in Michigan, USA, and they are part of a general reorganization plan which aims to guide its operations to the markets and more profitable business. "This transformation plan is designed not only to improve the health of these businesses in the short term, but to ensure their growth and their future," says the release. The jobs will be reduced correspond to tasks of sales and promotion, technical, manufacturing and administrative positions.

As part of the reorganization programme, the company noted that it has opened new plants in Japan, China, and Brazil, which has taken control of societies in Mexico and Poland and that has created new partners at Russia. The restructuring costs are estimated at 165 million for the quarter in course and another 55 million dollars for the next 12 months.

DuPont produces liquid paint for the automotive industry in Barcelona

The direction of the chemical company DuPont in Ruby and Polinyá (Barcelona) justified the closure of plants in these two places for the losses that crawl from four years ago. After the first meeting between the direction of DuPont in Spain and the Works Council, composed of representatives of UGT, CCOO and USOC, which took place after the announcement of closure and that will affect approximately 320 employees, managers of multinational chemistry pledged to launch a round of informal contacts until April 19the date from which there could be the record of employment regulation (ERE).

For its part, the representatives of the workers, who have decided that councils of Ruby and Polinyá negotiating jointly with DuPont output, have rejected the arguments of the company, as they consider that the current 15 per cent in Spain market share could be increased with a new trade policy.

According to the documentation delivered to trade unions, the losses of DuPont, who trail from four years ago, increased in 2004 and 2005.

The closure of two production centres, which will be negotiated in the coming weeks, will be gradual and will be extended until the end of the year.

The plant of Ruby, that produces paint powder for the construction, employs 90 people, while Polinyá Centre, which is produced in particular liquid paint for the automotive industry, working in 230 employees.