(en) IWA External Bulletin #8* - CNT Victory: Mercadona has to Pay Half a Million Euros in Compensation

Mercadona has to pay around a half million euros in compensation to 12 dismissed workers 
from the CNT who worked in Xativa and Alzira (Valencia). ---- In December 2013, 
CNT-Valencia and CNT- Vall d?Albaida started a conflict against Mercadona for the 
disciplinary dismissal of various workers in different areas near Valencia who had joined 
to CNT to start continued mobilizations. These dismissals were based on totally surreal 
accusations, such as taking an expired cake out of the trash. ---- The CNT started an 
informational campaign publically denouncing the dismissals which ? on the majority of 
occasions ? effected workers with more than 20 years' seniority. They made disciplinary 
dismissals in order to avoid paying any type of compensation while they were producing new 
and more precarious contracts in these same shops.

Through months of mobilizations in different parts of the Valencia province and a national 
day of action in different city, Mercadona was obliged to negotiate with the dismissed as 
the trial date approvahed. The Human Resources Department negotiated with the workers and 
finally offered compensation very close to one for an unfair dismissal (40 days per year). 
CNT did not find it necessary to way for the courts to solve the situation since their 
goals were obtained through mobilization and direct action.

The payment of approximately a half million euros on the part of Mercadona has 
demonstrated once again that the disciplinary dismissals of people who had worked for half 
their lives in the company were totally unjustified. It also served to demonstrate that 
the syndicalism that the CNT practices is more valid that ever and continues to be an 
effective tool for workers, including in companies as powerful as Mercadona.

CNT would like to remind the owner Juan Roig that the conflict is not finished since there 
is one more member (Encarni) who has not received compensation. The union will continue 
its mobilizations in different neighbourhoods and locations in Valencia until the company 
takes measures to end the conflict.

The anarchosyndicalist union warns that the mobilizations against Mercadona serve to 
increase members and a presence in different supermarkets in the city, as well as to make 
the population aware of the abusive practices of the company and to encourage a boycott.

CNT Valencia
CNT Vall d'Albaida

www.cnt.es

www.iwa-ait.org/sites/default/files/documents/iwa_external_bulletin_no.8_june_2014.pdf