A year after being bought by a private equity firm, Acrylicos Vallejo workers are on strike
Nearly all 74 workers at Acrylicos Vallejo have gone on indefinite strike. The popular Spanish paint company – which produces their Game Color and Model Color lines most commonly used in miniature painting and wargaming – first announced a partial strike in late November, but escalated earlier this week when they claimed ownership of Acrylicos Vallejo did not want to negotiate with the workers. According to made a statement about Bluesky of the Catalan labor organization CGT, the demands of the striking workers are threefold: a pay increase, an improvement in safety conditions and protocols to tackle harassment in the workplace.
Founded in 1965 in New Jersey, Acrylicos Vallejo moved to Barcelona and quickly became a major player in the European art scene for their vibrant and extensive color range before establishing themselves as a staple in the world of wargaming and miniatures. It currently distributes paints to more than 55 countries around the world. Following a trend of private capital consolidation, private equity firm Proa Capital bought a majority stake in Acrylicos Vallejo in December 2023 for just under $53 million. The workers’ strike comes in a parallel wave of global labor actions in almost every sector, including entertainment and gaming, with most demanding higher wages and greater protections in their respective industries.
This is evident from a statement from the CGT given to YouTuber Hellstorm WargamingThe workers at the Catalan factory currently earn approximately the Spanish minimum wage. Earlier this year, the Spanish Council of Ministers held raised the country’s minimum wage to €37.8 (just under $40) per day, or just over €1,134 ($1,200) per month – an increase of around 50% compared to the Spanish minimum wage in 2018. Representatives of the CGT claim that the executive salaries continue to rise with higher profits as employee wages rise. stand still.
Workers are also calling for an improvement in safety conditions at the factory, which they say is in a “deplorable state.” In their statement they claim: “Some parts of the ceiling fell, fortunately without injuring anyone. There are outdated machines without maintenance. To give you an idea: some machines had to be repaired by installing brackets to keep them together.”
Their latest demand concerns workplace harassment, for which they say the company has no protocols. “There are executives in the company who are professionals in the field of workplace harassment, and who are committed to harassing and making life impossible for employees,” the CGT spokesperson claimed.
The striking workers did not explicitly call for a boycott of Acrylicos Vallejo, but said: “If you are considering not purchasing any more products until the strike is over, this will be a good way to put pressure on the company.” Many of the public reactions to their strike announcement on social media have stated that they will refuse to purchase the company’s products until the demands are met.
Acrylicos Vallejo has not made any public statement about the strike. Polygon did not immediately receive a response to a request for comment and will update this article if one is provided.