According to the union, many of the workers are specialized and have invested in their professional training, with the expectation of employment at Unigel Camaçari, making the mass dismissal even more worrying.

Proquigel took the decision to paralyze the industrial operations of Unigel Agro, formerly Fafen, located in Camaçari, in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador, causing mass layoffs that will affect the employment of hundreds of workers. The decision was communicated on Wednesday, (01/11), to the management of Sindiquímica Bahia. The company justified the measure by claiming that the Camaçari unit has been operating at a loss since the end of 2022, mainly due to the high cost of natural gas supplied by Petrobras, making the final price of the finished product, fertilizers, impractical compared to international prices.

Proquigel paralyzes industrial operations at Unigel Agro in Bahia

Proquigel, which produces Petrobras' nitrogen fertilizers, claims that it approached Petrobras numerous times to find a way to reduce the price of natural gas, even temporarily, in order to make Unigel Agro BA's operation viable.

However, to date, Petrobras has not taken measures to meet Proquigel's demands, maintaining intolerable prices that are significantly higher than those practiced in the international market.

An alternative solution proposed to Petrobras was the formalization of a Tolling Contract, which would allow the continuity of Unigel Agro BA's operations.

However, Petrobras did not accept this solution either, which led Proquigel to make the difficult decision to stop the factory's industrial operations.

Before taking this drastic decision, Proquigel contacted the federal government, ministries and secretariats, in the hope of finding some legislative mechanism that could reduce the price of natural gas and make the operation of the Bahian factory viable.

However, these efforts also did not result in any measures or solutions, even temporary ones.

Sindiquímica Bahia seeks solutions to maintain jobs

It mass dismissal directly affects 384 workers involved in the unit's production, comprising 264 direct employees and 120 indirect employees.

According to the statement, these workers will serve a 30-day notice period, which creates uncertainty in their lives and that of their families.

Sindiquímica Bahia seeks dialogue with representatives from Petrobras, the government of Bahia and the federal government, seeking the return of factory operations and ensuring the permanence of job vacancies.

Many of these workers are specialized, and around 30% of them completed their qualifications at Senai Cimatec, performing their first job.

The board of directors of Sindiquímica Bahia is working together with its legal advisors and mobilizing political efforts to demand solutions that can guarantee the maintenance of jobs and the income of these working families affected by this difficult situation.

The situation at Unigel Agro in Camaçari highlights the challenges faced by the industry and workers due to high production costs and the complexity of negotiations with large suppliers of essential resources.

The other side of the story: Unigel, earnings report and the layoff of hundreds of workers

According to a video published by Jailton Andrade, from Debate Petroleiro, where he explains and refutes the cause of the mass dismissal that occurred at Unigel, he says that “the two factories were rented by Unigel on November 21, 2019, located in Bahia and in Sergipe, were stopped throughout 2020. And it was only in May 2021 that the Sergipe factory came into operation.”

“In November 2021, that is, two years after the lease contract, fertilizer production began at the Bahia unit. In 2019 and 2020, the Unigel group achieved an operating profit of 247 and 349 million, respectively. After the Unigel Agro operation, profits soared, reaching 1,7 billion in 2021 and in 2022, it reached 1,5 billion”, revealed Jailton.

For Andrade, it makes no sense for Unigel to record record profits in recent years, while at the same time laying off almost 400 workers.

Check out the full opinion of Debate Petroleiro and its explanations against the 384 layoffs

With information Bahia News.