Frozen-Vegetable Workers and Farmers Join Forces Against Ardo Plant Closure
Published on 11/02/2026 at 23:30 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Workers at the Ardo frozen-vegetable plant in Groß-Enzersdorf, Lower Austria, are heading into a fresh round of severance talks this Friday with little confidence in management, and they will have company on the picket line: roughly 500 vegetable growers from the Marchfeld region plan to stand alongside them.
The Belgian-owned group announced at the end of September 2026 that it will shut the site in the Gänserndorf district for good at the end of August 2027. The social plan still under negotiation covers about 190 employees plus some 50 agency workers.
Anger Over Management's Offer
Patrick Slacik, regional director of the PRO-GE union, described the mood after works council meetings and a staff assembly on Monday as one of disappointment and anger. In the workforce's view, the offer tabled so far by company management falls far short of what is needed.
As early as 30 October 2026, the works council concluded that the two sides were nowhere near an agreement. Employees expect an improved proposal from management at Friday's session.
Dietmar Breiner, chair of the blue-collar works council, ruled out a strike for now but left the door open to a work-to-rule campaign.
Monday Morning Protest at the Gates
A staff assembly and demonstration are scheduled for 8.00 a.m. next Monday outside the plant. The 190 employees will be joined by around 500 Marchfeld vegetable farmers from the Erzeugerorganisation Tiefkühlgemüse (ETG), the growers' organisation for frozen vegetables.
The Groß-Enzersdorf facility processes produce for Iglo and for the own-brand frozen lines of the Billa, Hofer and Spar supermarket chains. According to the company, Ardo handled produce from roughly 270 farmers in Lower Austria in 2025. Iglo Austria alone takes about 3,200 tonnes of spinach from the plant each year.
Iglo belongs to Nomad Foods, a group with 8,000 employees and turnover of around 3 billion euros. While Iglo has signalled general interest in Austrian-grown vegetables, no direct contact with the growers' organisation has taken place so far.
Growers Scout Alternatives, Including Slovakia
With the closure looming, the ETG is exploring other processing routes for its 500 member farms. ETG chairman Robert Kriegl is sounding out options with other partners, among them the Slovak frozen-food producer Equus.
Based in Bratislava with production in Vinica, Equus employs 181 people and generates turnover of around 20 million euros. Kriegl said the roughly 170-kilometre haul between the Marchfeld and Vinica is workable for processing spinach. Building an entirely new production site in Austria is also under consideration.
