Now the concern is spreading among the employees of the crisis-ridden company Northvolt after the subsidiary’s bankruptcy and the announcement that a thousand people have to leave the battery factory in Skellefteå.
Plight
Many of the employees at the factory come from countries such as Pakistan and India and have often bet everything on a future in Sweden. However, just like everyone who comes from outside the EU, these groups face a difficult situation if they lose their jobs.
– There is definitely a concern and the concern is greater among those who depend on a work permit and do not have the same security to fall back on, as the A-fund, says Lena Lundgren, ombudsman at the union IF Metall.
The family pressured
Wasif Mehmood Qureshi works with quality control and so far has kept his job at Northvolt. His wife, who used to work at the factory, is one of those forced to quit. With the latest notice of redundancies, the family’s situation is under pressure.
– Many people will leave Northvolt within a few months, maybe even me, says Wasif Mehmood Qureshi.
According to Northvolt, it is currently unclear which people will be laid off, but the company announces that it will focus on the production of batteries while expansions have been paused. Nor has the union received any information.
No information
– No exact information, no. But we know that both workers and white-collar workers will be affected, says Lena Lundgren.
Together with the subsidiary’s bankruptcy, the threat of a bankruptcy for the whole of Northvolt hangs in the air, which would make the already difficult situation much worse considering that the business today employs 3800 people and many come from countries outside the EU.