WIREDGOV

The EU Commission should review EU legislation on mass dismissals, in view of plans to close down Caterpillar and Alstom in Belgium, say MEPs in a non-legislative resolution passed on Wednesday. MEPs also call for support measures for ”these workers and their local economies.”

The EU Commission is asked to ”consult social partners on the effectiveness of legislation on collective dismissals” and to ”investigate the way in which the consultation procedure with the European Works Council has been carried out”.

”Socially responsible” restructuring

Any corporate restructuring should be carried out in a ”socially responsible” fashion, in full compliance with ”national and European regulations on informing and consulting workers”,  including ”local dialogue comprising all stakeholders to discuss potentially better arrangements”, says the text. MEPs also call on the Commission to assess the desirability of revising the existing legislation on collective dismissals in the light of the Caterpillar and Alstom cases.

MEPs also welcome ”the initiative of some local authorities, together with the social partners, such as in the case of Alstom, to foster experimental projects for workers and companies.”

Need for a sustainable and competitive industrial strategy

MEPs ”regret the lack of a real EU industrial policy which also protects EU workers”, arguing that EU industry should be treated as ”a strategic asset for the competitiveness and sustainability” of the Union. To this end, a ”swift agreement” is needed on the revision of EU rules governing trade defence instruments, says the text. A new industrial policy could be driven by research and development projects, said MEPs, calling on the Commission to ”ensure the best possible use of European structural and investment funds...to support R&D projects at regional level.” 

MEP add that tax avoidance as ”a result of the lack of European coordination in fiscal and commercial matters” should be prevented.