Spanish Auto Supplier Jobelsa Plans 400 Layoffs in Morocco Amid COVID Crisis

After having abandoned 500 of its employees at the end of 2020, the Spanish supplier specialized in automotive seat covers, is preparing to abandon the remaining 400 employees in its factory in the province of Fahs Anjra, 25 km from Tangier. This decision is due to the coronavirus crisis, the management indicated, stressing a drop in production and the financial difficulties of the company, hence the obligation to lay off the remaining employees, according to Maroc Hebdo.

However, according to Siham El Morabit, an employee at Jobelsa Maroc, "we worked at full capacity in 2020. Between 5 and 6 trailers were loaded every day thanks to the increase in production. The factory was running 7 days a week." After the layoff of 500 employees without compensation at the end of 2020, on January 18, 2021, the human resources department put the remaining 400 employees on technical unemployment for a period of one month, extended for another month, explained one of the workers.

But on the eve of their return, the employees were stunned to find that instead of an official document, the human resources managers had rather posted "a message on the company’s Facebook page, asking them not to come to the factory until 3 days after the agreed date". So the employees understood that it was a way to "get rid of them at a lower cost". "It’s unworthy of them. They wanted us to be absent for two days to lay us off for abandonment of post and not compensate us," lamented Siham.

But, having failed, the company suggested to the employees 20 to 25% of their legal compensation. An offer rejected by the majority of the agents. Thus, for more than 15 days, they have been organizing a sit-in for an indefinite period. Although the Moroccan authorities have not yet reacted to the situation, the employees do not intend to give up without having prevailed. They have appealed to a lawyer for their defense, hoping that the Minister of Labor will intervene. But, contacted by the newspaper, Mohamed Amekraz did not want to address this issue.