Type
Closure
Country
Spain
Region
Este; Cataluña; Barcelona
Location of affected unit(s)
Castellbisbal (Catalonia)
Sector
Manufacturing
Manufacture of wood and paper materials
Manufacture of paper and paper products
17.12 - Manufacture of paper and paperboard

228 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
21 February 2025
Employment effect (start)
21 May 2025
Foreseen end date
25 February 2026

Description

Italian packaging specialist Reno de Medici (RDM Group) has announced the closure of its Spanish subsidiary RDM Barcelona Cartonboard factory in Castellbisbal (Barcelona), resulting in the dismissal of 237 employees. The company attributes this decision to increasingly challenging market conditions, citing shifts in consumption patterns, inflationary pressures across Europe and a complex geopolitical environment exacerbated by the Russia–Ukraine conflict. RDM Group also noted the presence of accumulated stock levels within its value chain and significantly low factory capacity utilisation rates. Notably, RDM Barcelona Cartonboard reported a turnover of €108 million in 2023—merely half that of the previous year—and incurred a loss of €724,000.

The trade union CCOO has strongly criticised the decision, alleging that management has failed to engage in sincere dialogue.

Updated, 27 June 2025: RDM Group has reached an agreement to lay off 228 employees at its Castellbisbal factory, providing them with compensation of 33 days' pay for each year worked, capped at 24 monthly payments. This decision comes after negotiations to avoid legal proceedings, with the layoffs scheduled to occur progressively until February 2026.


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2025), RDM Barcelona Cartonboard, Closure in Spain, factsheet number 202387, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/202387.