After knowing the favorable result of the pre-agreement in the referendum of Opel Spain, the auxiliary industries have begun to breathe and are waiting for the new awards of the Opel Corsa or new models to take place. Some investments that could amount to around 120 million euros and generate about 800 additional jobs.

The result of the referendum of the pre-agreement of collective agreement of Opel Spain has been followed closely by the automotive sector because of its result also depended on the activity in the different auxiliary companies that, now, have begun to breathe after knowing that 58, 41% of the workforce has voted in favor of the competitiveness and the future of the Figueruelas factory.

In the absence of knowing all the details of the industrial plan, how it will be articulated and the investments to be made in the Zaragoza plant, the first estimates suggest that the arrival of the new Opel Corsa or another model will involve an investment in companies of the sector of around 120 million euros.

This amount was, for example, the one that the automotive auxiliary industries realized due to the arrival of the Citröen C3 Aircross and the Crosland X to the Zaragoza plant.

Investments that also had a positive effect on employment generation. “Only the increase in this production increase in the years 2016 to 2017 from 360,000 vehicles to 395,000 cars meant the creation of 800 jobs, any increase in activity above 400,000 vehicles will have a positive effect on employment”, according to David Romeral, manager of the Automotive Cluster of Aragón, in statements to elEconomista.es

“In the short term we understand that the agreement will confirm the Opel Corsa in Zaragoza and will reactivate and activate the process of the components, if the companies here are the ones that win those contracts, investment will be generated”.

For the time being, the automotive auxiliary companies have not yet received any communication regarding the awarding of the components for the new Opel Corsa. Some news that is expected for the next few weeks and that is not expected to be delayed, since a time of about two years is calculated for the launch of a new model.

The agreement of Opel Spain has also cleared the uncertainty not only about the plant, but about the automotive sector in Aragon, which is made up of around 200 companies and involves some 25,000 jobs.

A future that opens up to new opportunities because this agreement “is a first starting point, but now we must continue to demonstrate to PSA that it has a powerful plant and fabric, it is five years -in relation to the duration of the collective agreement agreed- , to be able to continue working “.

From the Cluster CAAR have wanted to thank “the effort made by the trade unions and workers,” in addition to highlighting the “benefit for the automotive industry and the economy” of this agreement.

Eva Sereno (Zaragoza) – EL ECONOMISTA – 01/31/2018 (Translation Soft)