Unfortunately, Spanish laws allow an unilateral change of the working conditions, after a period of negotiation of both parts (workers and company). This is called a "Substantial change of the working conditions" being the Spanish acronym for this "MSCT", and it means that after asking if the workers accept to lower their salaries (and even if the workers say no), the company can go ahead and cut the values unilaterally with the percentages they decide. It seems crazy, but itīs the world we actually live in. The law says that if this cut is applied (under MSCT law), it then gives the worker the right to ask for the termination of itīs contract, with the right to ask for 20 days of payment for each year they worked on the company, with a maximum value of the equivalent to a 9 months salary, although Babcock infomed the workers they will not pay this by free will if one decides to leave this way !!!, wich, in case the workers decide they will not accept the new cutted salary,
leaves them with the option of waiting for a court decision after years of appeals and lots of money spent on an attorney and on the case costs itself.
Since in the last 3 years the company maintained the exact same salaries for itīs personnel), wich means earning less each year (caused by the annual inflation), and the payed salaries are not in any way above an European, or Spanish average for the sector, the unions representing the workers have been informing of the decision of not accepting any type of decrease on the employees salaries. The negotiations are now on a standstill as the company maintains itīs decision to cut the salaries, so now we have 1200 workers with the pressure of not knowing if in the end of the month they will be able to maintain their living costs and the ruling word at the moment is uncertainty. Like if there was not enough pressure inside a flight deck/cabin, or a maintenance facility to keep us all returning safe every day ….