17 February, 2025Former employees at Yazaki Uruguay have reached a favourable agreement with the Japanese firm after it announced that it was closing its plants in the country. Following a long campaign, Yazaki has agreed to an additional payout for workers.
Tripartite negotiations were held between Yazaki, the labour ministry and representatives from the National Union of Metal and Allied Workers (UNTMRA, IndustriALL affiliate in Uruguay), the union federation PIT-CNT and IndustriALL with the aim of reaching an agreement for 1,200 workers who lost their jobs with the sudden closure of the company's two plants in the country.
After intense talks an agreement was reached and then approved by the workers’ assembly. Yazaki agreed to respect its former employees’ right to a final settlement and to grant a once-off severance payment and special unemployment insurance for one year, representing an additional payout of US$3.5 million for workers.
The president of the PIT-CNT, Marcelo Abdala, explained at a press conference held on 12 February, that the agreement also included key provisions to ensure the professional reorientation of workers once the company closes its doors:
“It sets out the possibility for workers to have their employment profiles analysed and to receive training through the National Institute for Employment and Vocational Training and support and advice at various levels, including from the State, the Canelones and Colonia regional authorities and unions, to facilitate labour reintegration, which is so important.”
He explained that Yazaki management also corrected their statements and acknowledged in writing in the agreement that the closure was not due to alleged conflicts with the union, but rather to production costs and competitiveness. The union leader believes that Uruguay's competitive edge should be driven by quality, a genuine increase in productivity and the production capacity of labour:
“For this reason, the PIT-CNT put forward a proposal to the future government to set up a three-way negotiating mechanism involving employers, government and workers. The aim is to establish an industrial policy and diversify the production matrix, laying the foundations for a development strategy that prevents situations like this from occurring.”
At the same time, worker delegates from Yazaki’s Las Piedras and Colonia plants thanked the workers’ movement and neighbours for standing with them, highlighting workers’ struggles and the unity of the people of Uruguay.
IndustriALL Latin America regional secretary, Marino Vani, said:
“We want to congratulate the workers, our affiliate UNTMRA and the PIT-CNT for their campaign, for standing up against the abuses and unilateral dismissals that Yazaki carried out in Uruguay without prior discussions with the workers.
Once again we’ve seen that if we as workers don’t stand up and fight back there would be no dialogue, which is what made this agreement – and the economic and social benefits it provides – possible. Our struggle continues. Only by showing unity and having strong unions can we build dialogue and ensure respect for workers. Otherwise, we will become slaves.”
Photo: PIT-CNT