“To ensure long-term competitiveness, Siemens Gamesa has decided to close its rotor blade and blade repair facilities in Oliveira de Frades, as there is no projected workload for the coming years,” an official source from Siemens Energy stated.
In the same note, the official noted that Siemens Gamesa, as a global company, operates in a “very dynamic market environment” that necessitates constant assessments.
“We are constantly evaluating our manufacturing presence to remain competitive and return to profitability,” they wrote.
Regarding the layoff notice issued to approximately 100 workers, the spokesperson explained that Siemens Gamesa is “committed to minimizing the impact of such decisions on its employees.”
“Approximately half of the employees in Oliveira de Frades will receive an offer to transfer within Siemens Gamesa,” they confirmed.
The Mayor of Oliveira de Frades, in the district of Viseu, João Valério, told the press that the decision “surprised him, but was somewhat expected” following the closure of a unit in Aveiro earlier this year.
In January of this year, Siemens Energy justified to the media a collective dismissal of 222 workers from its wind turbine blade factory in Vagos, district of Aveiro, citing a reduced workload plan starting February.
In a written statement sent to the press, an official source from Siemens Energy stated that the company “is implementing comprehensive restructuring measures aimed at regaining profitability,” which includes adapting its production capacity in view of the cessation of sales of its 4.X and 5.X onshore turbines.
“This applies to our factory in Vagos, Portugal, where our current work plan envisages a significant reduction starting February 2025. Hence, we need to cut 222 jobs from the current 1,300 positions,” indicated Siemens Energy.
At the time, the German multinational assured that the announced restructuring would, in Portugal, only affect the Vagos factory, with no impact on the unit located in Oliveira de Frades, in the district of Viseu, both owned by its subsidiary Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Blades.
The decision to close in Oliveira de Frades was communicated to the mayor, “although they were not required to do so, but since they took this care, if it had been done earlier, a phased layoff might have been negotiable” for the workers.
Nevertheless, the mayor acknowledged that in the industrial area “there is a shortage of labor, and it seems that there are businesses ready to take in some” of the approximately 100 workers who were notified of the layoff.
The local government, João Valério added, is also coordinating with the Employment and Professional Training Institute (IEFP) for “future routing of workers, together with the social action office.”
“The closure of a company is always an economic and social loss. Now it is up to us to continue bringing companies to Oliveira de Frades to mitigate the damage caused by this closure,” said João Valério.
Moreover, Valério added, “there will now be a problem, which is the unit in the industrial area that still lacks a solution” for its facilities, uncertain whether it will become a warehouse, another type of business, or be sold.
