Angry Workers Set Tyre Mountains Ablaze at Alcoa in Spain over Nissan Plant Closures

Thick black smoke was seen billowing for miles from the Nissan plant in Alcoa, Spain, as hundreds of workers protested over losing their jobs.

THE carmaker also announced it will close its factory in Barcelona with the loss of about 2,800 jobs, prompting more protests at the Spanish plant where hundreds of workers gathered while mounds of burning tyres blockaded the site which Nissan said would close from December this year.

Nissan has said it is cutting production amid falling sales and rising losses, citing the coronavirus pandemic as one of the causes, the carmaker revealed a €5.8 Billion net loss in the last financial year – the worst result for more than a decade, on Thursday.

The Sunderland plant in the UK will become Nissan’s European manufacturing hub as a result – making it highly likely to stay open and protecting 6,000 workers, along with another 27,000 jobs in the supply chain.

Shutting the Barcelona plant, which has 3,000 staff, along with two smaller factories nearby, could mean the production of some models is moved to the UK. The decision sparked street protests all across the Spanish city.

Nissan is part of a three-way alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi, which are restructuring global operations to enable them to work more closely and cut costs, as part of its plans, Nissan said it would focus on several “key markets,” including Japan, North America, and China.

Its boss said that it will “sustain” its presence in Europe but will leave more room for alliance partners there, such as Renault.