Commission help for former Ford workers in BelgiumThe European Commission has proposed providing Belgium with more than €500,000 to help find new jobs for 479 workers who have been made redundant from the Ford factory in Genk. Ford announced in 2012 that it would close the factory by the end of 2014 as part of wider cuts across Europe, leading to strikes and demonstrations in the industrial city. Ford, which at the time employed 1.7% of all workers in the province of Limburg, was the largest employer in the Flemish region, whose economy had long relied on coal-mining and manufacturing. The money – €570,945 – which must be approved by the European Parliament and EU member states, and will be matched by the Belgian government, will be used to help 479 workers from Ford and local suppliers to search for a new job and retrain. The factory employed some 5,000 workers in 2012. László Andor, the European commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion, said that Europes car industry was suffering as a result of the eurozone crisis and in the face of global competition. “Many workers in the motor industry are experiencing hardship and EU solidarity in helping them to manage these difficult transitions is therefore important,” he said.“Many workers in the motor industry are experiencing hardship and EU solidarity in helping them to manage these difficult transitions is therefore important,” said László Andor, the European commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion. According to Belgium, car manufacturing within the EU dropped by 14.6% between 2007 and 2012. The EUs share of the worldwide market for passenger cars fell from 32.2% to 23.2% over the same period, while Chinas market share doubled to 24.6%. This is the second time that Limburg has received funds from the European Globalisation Fund. In 2009, Limburg, West Flanders and East Flanders received €9.2 million to help retrain 2,168 textile workers who had lost their jobs as a result of recession in the UK, which was their principal market. By Nicholas Hirst The European Commission has proposed providing Belgium with more than €500,000 to help find new jobs for 479 workers who have been made redundant from the Ford factory in Genk. Ford announced in 2012 that it would close the factory by the end of 2014 as part of wider cuts across Europe, leading to strikes and demonstrations in the industrial city. Ford, which at the time employed 1.7% of all workers in the province of Limburg, was the largest employer in the Flemish region, whose economy had long relied on coal-mining and manufacturing. The money – €570,945 – which must be approved by the European Parliament and EU member states, and will be matched by the Belgian government, will be used to help 479 workers from Ford and local suppliers to search for a new job and retrain. The factory employed some 5,000 workers in 2012. László Andor, the European commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion, said that Europes car industry was suffering as a result of the eurozone crisis and in the face of global competition. “Many workers in the motor industry are experiencing hardship and EU solidarity in helping them to manage these difficult transitions is therefore important,” he said.“Many workers in the motor industry are experiencing hardship and EU solidarity in helping them to manage these difficult transitions is therefore important,” said László Andor, the European commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion. According to Belgium, car manufacturing within the EU dropped by 14.6% between 2007 and 2012. The EUs share of the worldwide market for passenger cars fell from 32.2% to 23.2% over the same period, while Chinas market share doubled to 24.6%. This is the second time that Limburg has received funds from the European Globalisation Fund. In 2009, Limburg, West Flanders and East Flanders received €9.2 million to help retrain 2,168 textile workers who had lost their jobs as a result of recession in the UK, which was their principal market. Source:: Europeanvoice ift.tt/1gB4pon
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:27:11 +0000
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