Galp to keep 70 jobs at Matosinhos logistics park after refinery closes

Galp will maintain 70 jobs in the logistics park in Matosinhos, after the refinery closes, and is also analysing “possible internal mobility solutions” for some of the workers, the group said in a statement.

“Favouring solutions that allow jobs to be maintained, an analysis of all the company’s recruitment processes is underway,” Galp said, adding that an evaluation of “the possibility of directing a substantial part of the 2021 vacancies to promote possible situations of internal mobility and skills upgrading is underway.

The company thus intends to “integrate as many people as possible into other functions within the Galp group, particularly in the Sines refinery, as well as into other labour market opportunities”.

In addition, “potential situations of early retirement have been identified and a social plan with substantially favourable conditions for cases of pre-retirement agreements or mutually agreed termination has also been considered,” Galp said.

The group reported on this plan, following the decision to concentrate refining activities in Sines, after starting “this week, as planned, a series of meetings and clarification sessions to share information with employees and their representatives about the solutions planned for people and the stages of decommissioning of the Matosinhos refinery.

According to the information released today, “between February and March individual talks will be held with the 401 staff at the refinery with the aim of identifying the solutions that seem feasible in each particular case and the date of implementation planned, ensuring that everyone will be heard and treated with the respect and dignity required,” assured the company.

Galp also detailed that “three major sequential stages – decommissioning, dismantling and decontamination – are planned to last for a minimum period of three years”.

The decommissioning of the refinery “will take place during 2021 (by the end of March for the fuel plant, by the end of June for the aromatics and base oil plants and by the end of December for the utilities) and is intended to eliminate the presence of product in all the process units”.

Thus, the group will “prepare the equipment in a safe way for its dismantling and subsequent decontamination from 2022 onwards”.