A labor crisis has erupted in Osona, located in the province of Barcelona: 458 workers employed at meat processing plants have been forced to temporarily stop working. The reason is an outbreak of African swine fever, detected in Catalonia for the first time in decades. The regional authorities have approved the temporary suspension of employment contracts (ERTE) for staff supplied by GCTPlus to four major meat processing companies in the area.
These companies are owned by the Aragon-based Grupo Jorge, which decided to change its pork supply logistics. After the virus was discovered in the wild—specifically in the Collserola mountain range near Barcelona—the company opted to temporarily suspend operations at plants located closest to the outbreak’s epicenter. As a result, hundreds of workers have been left without work.
The virus and its consequences
African swine fever (ASF) had not been recorded in Spain since 1994. However, two weeks ago, the virus was found in wild boar in Collserola. The disease is extremely dangerous for pigs and wild boar, but poses no threat to other animals or humans. Although the virus remains contained and has only been detected in 13 boar so far, its emergence has already led to serious economic consequences.
Immediately after the confirmed cases, Spain lost its status as a country free of ASF. This automatically closed many export markets to Spanish producers, except for those who agreed to purchase meat from outside the affected area. For meat processing companies, this was a serious blow, forcing them to revise production plans and temporarily reduce staff.
Labor market under pressure
The temporary suspension affected employees of GCTPlus, who were assigned to four meat processing plants in Osonya. All of them are now on temporary leave. Under the conditions of ERTE, workers who have been with the company for more than a year may be eligible for a special benefit, similar to unemployment payments. However, it is still unclear how many of them meet these requirements.
The peculiarity of the situation is that most meat plant workers are migrants, and turnover in this sector is traditionally high. In recent years, the industry has already faced challenges: previously, unions actively fought against the practice of hiring staff through cooperatives, where everyone technically worked for the same company but were registered as self-employed. After pressure from unions and authorities, thousands of workers were transferred to more transparent arrangements through temporary employment agencies.
Industrial risks
Ossó de Sió is considered one of the key centers for pork production and processing in Catalonia. However, its proximity to Barcelona and the outbreak forced Grupo Jorge to stop using local facilities. This decision was made to minimize business risks and avoid possible export restrictions if the infection zone expands.
Authorities note that this is currently the only case of a mass shutdown due to African swine fever. Nevertheless, the situation remains tense: further spread of the virus could lead to more layoffs and additional economic losses for the region.
Social impact
For workers left without jobs, the situation is complicated not only by financial difficulties, but also by uncertainty about the future. Many of them are migrants, for whom the loss of income could be critical. The industry has already seen repeated conflicts over working conditions and employment status, and the current crisis has once again exposed the vulnerability of these workers.
While authorities and companies search for ways out of the crisis, one question remains: how long will the forced shutdown last and will the workers be able to return to their jobs once the epidemiological situation stabilizes?
