2023-06-03 15:51:55
The announcement of final closure of the plant Marie Claire in Vilafranca due to extinction of the ERE that affects the entire workforce has caused a unanimous response from the alcaldes from the regions of Els Ports and Alt Maestrat, as well as from the neighboring province of Teruel. Councilors and neighbors fear an unprecedented rise in depopulation and the loss of services associated with the number of inhabitants.
The first town hall to position itself has been that of Vilafranca, headquarters of the factory. On Thursday afternoon they held an extraordinary plenary for the company’s announcement. In the session they read a solemn institutional declaration. “Given the situation, the political groups agree on this statement,” said Silvia Colom, mayor of the town.
The second message was from “solidarity with all workers for this difficult situation”. Next, the mayoress read the institutional declaration in which she urged “the management of the company to comply with the agreements signed with the Generalitat Valenciana”. She also asked the institutions to continue “supporting the people of Vilafranca and Marie Claire.”
Request for help
Finally, Colom announced that they would send the request for help to the Diputación, the Generalitat and the Government of Spain “to receive help of the fondos Next Generation or strategic projects for economic recovery and transformation PERTE”.
From the capital of the region, Morella, its mayor is emphatic in supporting the residents and Vilafranca. In this sense, Rhamsés Ripollés explained that the closure of the largest industrial company in the region “affects everyone”. “Is a very bad news. The two towns share a lot of entrepreneurs and services that are established here and there and this has a negative effect on everyone.”
Other smaller towns have also joined the support and solidarity network. Thus, Rosa Adela, mayoress of Castellfort, is exhaustive: “It is very sad, we always maintained the hope that it would not be confirmed. It will be terrible for depopulation, directly or indirectly many jobs depended on it.”
In addition, the first mayor sent a message of “encouragement, especially for the workers and, for the people of Vilafranca, a lot of strength to get ahead.”
From the Maestrat, Mari Luz Monterde, mayoress of Benassal, also spoke about it. “We hope they are taken courageous decisions and that the institutions rise to the occasion, because the drama will affect Els Ports, Maestrat and our neighbors in Teruel, the company is vital in this area,” he said.
The closure splashes Teruel
In Iglesuela del Cid, a neighboring municipality, already in the province of Teruel, a few minutes from Vilafranca, they are very clear about it. Its mayor, Fernando Safont, explained that there is “much concern in the town, because more than 30% of the active population of the municipality works or depends on Marie Claire.” “It has been a company that has marked the prosperity of our municipality,” he remarked. “Either we avoid the closure or we attract new industries, the alternative will be a brutal population loss“, sentenced the first mayor.
Finally, from the Commonwealth of Els Ports, its president, Blai Peñarroya, is also resounding in his support for the municipality. “We have unanimously approved a motion to avoid the closure and support Vilafranca.”
Given the forecast of a significant rise in unemployment in the town, the Vilafranca institute has made the decision to extend the period to enroll in the vocational training modules they offer. Thus, in a statement issued by the city council, they explained that, given the exceptionality of the situation, “if anyone is interested in enrolling for the next course, even though the admission period has already ended, they can drop by or call to leave their data and express their willingness to attend cycles”.
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