Workers’ unions at Alcoa’s San Cibrao aluminum plant have firmly declined the company’s suggestion to delay the facility’s reopening, citing a lack of substantial guarantees from the multinational. Despite Alcoa’s push for a response to its proposal by Wednesday, the unions stand united in their demand for the company to adhere to the previously agreed-upon viability plan, which outlines a phased reactivation of the plant.
During the recent meeting, Alcoa’s representatives failed to present a convincing plan or provide detailed timelines for the plant’s gradual startup, leaving the unions dissatisfied. The workers criticized Alcoa’s Vice-President for Energy, Álvaro Dorado, for merely reiterating the company’s request for flexibility without offering any concrete commitments or assurances to the workforce.
Alcoa has expressed concerns over “substantial losses” and potential “depletion of funds” dedicated to the San Cibrao facility, using these as grounds to seek a postponement of the plant’s restart. However, the unions suspect these claims as a pretext for a stealthy shutdown of the operations, accusing the company of reneging on its commitments outlined in the viability agreement.
The unions are now appealing to government authorities to ensure Alcoa fulfills its obligations under the viability agreement, which includes reactivating 32 electrolysis tanks by April and achieving full operational capacity by October 2025. A critical multilateral meeting involving the company, unions, and government representatives is scheduled to take place in Madrid, aiming to resolve the impasse and chart a way forward for the plant’s future.
Regional and national government officials have echoed the unions’ calls for Alcoa to transparently communicate its plans and needs to reinvigorate the plant. The consensus among officials is that Alcoa must uphold its commitments and collaborate with the government to secure the plant’s long-term viability and continued operation in Spain. 
