Caoa Chery must suspend layoffs of workers in Jacareí, says union

Caoa Chery should maintain the employment of workers in Jacareí (80 km from SP) until January 2023, even with the closure of the factory, according to the Metalworkers Union of São José do Campos and Region. Last week, the automaker announced the temporary closure of the plant’s activities to readjust the factory, with the dismissal of employees.

The agreement was approved at a meeting of the category on the morning of this Wednesday (11), after a meeting with the company on Tuesday (10), and provides that, from June 1, workers will be placed on a lay-off regime. (temporary suspension of employment contracts) until October. In addition, they would have another three months of stability, until January 2023.

The automaker, however, does not confirm the terms of the agreement and says that it continues to negotiate with the union. “Caoa Chery informs that it continues to negotiate with the Metalworkers Union of São José dos Campos and Region”, informs a note.

Weller Gonçalves, president of the union, says that a new meeting will be held this Thursday (13) to discuss the draft. He says that, for now, workers continue on paid leave in the month of May, as they have been since March this year.

With the lay-off, the approximately 600 employees of the unit will maintain their salaries and health plan, but must undergo a qualification course during the period. Under the program of temporary suspension of contracts, which can only be activated in an economic crisis, part of the salary is paid by the company and part by the FAT (Worker Support Fund).

The union says that, in meetings, the company informs that the factory’s readjustment schedule goes until 2025. In meetings, however, Caoa would have said that, if possible, it will deliver the new unit in 2023. In a statement, the automaker also says that everything should be ready by the end of next year.

Jacareí unit was the first outside China

The Caoa Chery unit opened in 2014 and is the brand’s first outside China. The purchase of 50.2% of Chery by Caoa was made in 2017. The idea now is to start producing hybrid and electric cars in Brazil. There is also another unit, in Anápolis (GO), where Chery and Hyundai cars are assembled.

In Jacareí, the Tiggo 3x and Arrizo 6 Pro vehicles were produced. The intention is to export one of them and reinforce the production of the other in Anápolis. The union, however, does not accept the export. “We want it to be produced here. It is a scandal to say that it is going to bring a car from China, continue to profit in Brazil and lay off workers”, says Gonçalves.

The day after the layoffs were announced, the workers gathered in an assembly, staged a protest and started to camp in front of the factory. The agreement to be signed is considered a victory for the category. “We evaluate it as a great victory.”

PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED VEHICLE PRODUCTION

The pandemic affected the production of automakers in Brazil, which have gradually recovered. In 2021, the union says that the production of the Jacareí unit was 14 thousand vehicles. In March of this year, Caoa Chery was one of those that announced a lay-off. In all, the measure would affect 450 of the approximately 700 employees at the time.

According to industry data, sales of light and heavy vehicles in April showed signs of improvement with the sale of 147,256 units in the last month, up 0.3% compared to March, which had two more business days. The daily average of license plates increased from 6,991 to 7,750 units per day in the period.

ASSEMBLER CLOSING

In recent years, with the economic crisis, the closure of Ford units marked the end of an era of production. In 2019, the automaker announced the end of its activities at the São Bernardo do Campo (ABC) unit. A year later, it was the turn of Taubaté employees to receive the news of the end of activities and, in 2021, the automaker announced the end of its production in Brazil.