Diamantopoulou backs Jospin fight over job cuts

Date: 12/04/01

SOCIAL affairs chief Anna Diamantopoulou has waded into the row over the loss of 6,200 jobs at two European companies, Danone and Marks & Spencer.

The Greek Commissioner said she could not "remain silent in the face of such decisions and their likely effect on workers and their families".

She has urged EU member states to adopt as soon as possible the stalled directive on consultation and information of workers, saying such European-wide laws would have prevented the row over the way employees at the two firms were told they were to lose their jobs.

"It is unworthy of Europe that workers first hear of job losses through the press or a matter of minutes before a public announcement," she said.

"Moreover such behaviour on the part of business is bad management with customers."

British retailer Marks & Spencer announced earlier this month that it was to pull out of continental Europe with a loss of 4,400 jobs, while French food group Danone has unveiled lay-offs of 1,800 staff as it closes six of its European biscuit factories.

Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's government last week gave its full backing to French employees of the two companies to challenge the way the redundancies were announced under its national worker consultation rules. This week the French courts ruled that Mark & Spencer had failed to live up to its social obligations under national laws and ordered them to suspend the closure plans until a potentially lengthy consultation process had been completed.

The Commission's proposals for EU-wide laws on worker consultation were originally tabled two-and-half years ago but were revived by the French presidency in the second half of last year.

Belgium is expected to renew the push to get them through the Union's legislative process when it takes over the EU helm in July, despite strong opposition from the UK and Ireland.

Social affairs chief Anna Diamantopoulou has waded into the row over the loss of 6,200 jobs at two European companies, Danone and Marks & Spencer. She has urged Member States to adopt as soon as possible the stalled directive on consultation and information of workers.