At the plant in Wiener Neudorf, 112 employees will lose their jobs due to the solvent closure, the company announced on Thursday afternoon. Harsh criticism of the planned project came from the PRO-GE trade union. She calls for a search for investors to enable continued operation.
Video: Alufix ceases operations
Two years ago it was still said that the then 160-strong team was to be expanded by 15 percent. But Corona and other difficulties intervened. aluminum fix justified the end in addition to the consequences of the pandemic with an unfavorable market development, increased raw material prices and a shortage of raw materials. “Solutions for the benefit of the affected employees are being worked on in close coordination with the works council and the union,” the company statement said. We want to create a socially acceptable solution.
closure at home and abroad
“After an intensive examination of all options for a continuation solution, a solvent closure of the entire aluminum fix Group decided at home and abroad,” the company wrote. Customer orders that have already been placed are still being processed. All outstanding liabilities would be fully serviced.
The traditional Austrian brand aluminum fix but must be maintained, demanded the chairwoman of the works council, Nina Gottlieber, in a union broadcast. The Lower Austrian state secretary of the PRO-GE production union, Patrick Slacik, also called for “the responsibility of the company management for the more than 100 jobs”: “The employees have worked every day with great commitment for the company and are now not allowed to simply go out into the street Entire families would be affected, who are particularly suffering from the current price increases and are dependent on this income.”
Gottlieber and Slacik also referred to the investments made in recent years. A new workshop was built and investments were made in new production facilities. “All alternatives to the closure must be explored. Despite everything, social plan negotiations must now be started as a precaution in order to be prepared for all eventualities.” The employees only found out about the closure plan at a works meeting on Thursday.
Councilors cautiously optimistic
Lower Austria’s state politics – specifically the responsible state councilors Jochen Danninger and Martin Eichtinger (both ÖVP) – according to information from Thursday already with the management of aluminum fix Contacted and appealed to “conclude a fair social plan with the works council in a timely manner”. The Wiener Neudorf location is one of the “most dynamic economic areas in Central Europe”. “We are therefore cautiously optimistic that many of the workers affected will quickly find a new job due to the numerous vacancies in the region,” emphasized the state councilors in a joint broadcast.
The Lower Austrian company, originally a family business, had already been affected by insolvency in 2019. After the takeover by initially three Upper Austrian investors, the new owners began to initiate a restructuring process in 2019. “Rising raw material prices and shortages made it aluminum fix difficult to keep up with international competitors. The corona pandemic and the current situation in Ukraine also exacerbated the development of commodity prices. To make matters worse, almost the entire hotel industry, the gastronomy and the catering area – a for aluminum fix particularly important market segment – were massively restricted due to the Corona measures.”
As a direct consequence, the sales and earnings situation continued to deteriorate significantly. Due to these negative external factors and “despite the best efforts of everyone involved” for good, long-term solutions, the measures would not have been enough to achieve sustainable renovation.
Source: Nachrichten
