45 years at El Caserío: "If the factory is alive, it's thanks, above all, to the workers."

CitadelMargot Sastre, president of the works council, has been working at the former El Caserío plant for 45 years. Nearing retirement, she has experienced all the stages and properties since she joined the company in 1980: the Industrial Quesera Menorquina, owned by the Montañés family; its purchase by Kraft in 1992; the multinational's decision to close the factory in 2008; the workers' struggle to find and prevent a buyer; the entry of Rumasa in 2009; the bankruptcy proceedings; and the labor partnership with the management team that shaped Quesería Menorquina and guaranteed its continuity.

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"We, the workers, are a very important part of why we've gotten this far," Sastre emphasizes. "When Kraft wanted to close, we prioritized job security over the multimillion-dollar severance pay they would surely have given us." And he continues. "With Rumasa, we suffered the torment of working with a thief, a criminal. It's proven. They cut back at our expense, even stole our union dues, and went five months without pay." And, in order to continue, in the subsequent period from 2011 to 2021, "we also resisted thanks to the workers, who suffered a temporary layoff (ERTE), the layoff of more than 40 people, and had to cut our salaries by 20%, a loss we still haven't recovered. In 2014, we had to make a decision."

For this reason, the workers' representative emphasizes that "we won't really notice the change that has now occurred until the situation begins to reverse and we recover the lost money. It's an insult that affects our retirement and that we have included in the new agreement we are now negotiating." However, Sastre admits, "at least now we are starting to invest, we no longer have bankruptcy debt, and there is more liquidity. The only thing missing is a good business plan and dedicated workers to become a competitive machine again."