Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: redundancies in the automotive sector in Poland
The European Parliament adopted by 603 votes to 81, with 17 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, to the amount of EUR 1 259 610 in commitment and payment appropriations in order to assist Poland following redundancies in the automotive sector.
Parliament recalled that the Union set up legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who are suffering from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns and to assist their reintegration into the labour market.
Polish application: Poland submitted application EGF/2013/006 PL/Fiat for a financial contribution from the EGF, following 1079 redundancies, 829 in Fiat Auto Poland and 250 from 21 suppliers and downstream producers, with 777 persons expected to participate in EGF measures, linked to a decrease in production at the Tychy plant of Fiat Auto Poland S.A. (‘Tychy plant of Fiat’) located in the province of Slaskie, Poland, during the reference period from 21 January 2013 to 21 May 2013.
Parliament noted that the conditions set out in Article 2(a) of the EGF Regulation are met. Therefore, it agreed with the Commission that Poland is entitled to a financial contribution under the EGF Regulation.
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Nature of the redundancies: Parliament noted that the redundancies in the Tychy plant of Fiat and its suppliers and downstream producers are linked to major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation. It underlined that the impact of globalisation has been worsened by the effect of the financial crisis, which has reduced the sales of new passenger cars in the Union to the lowest level since records began.
It also noted that the redundancies at the Tychy plant of Fiat are expected to have a negative impact on the region, as the former workers of Fiat Auto Poland, suppliers and downstream producers represent 10% of all the unemployed people living in the province of Slaskie.
Dismissed workers: Parliament welcomed that, among other measures, intervention work specifically targets the group of workers over 50 years of age which constitutes a significant proportion of the beneficiaries. It underlined the high level of older people and people with lower qualifications affected by the redundancies which represent 18.7% and 62.6% respectively of all affected workers and called for special attention for those two groups and for special EGF measures targeted at them.
Coordinated package of personalised services: Parliament noted that the coordinated package of personalised services to be co-funded includes following measures for the reintegration of 777 redundant workers into employment: (i) training and training related costs, (ii) entrepreneurial training, (iii) training scholarships, (iv) internship scholarships, (v) internship costs, (vi) intervention works, (vii) grants for self-employment, (viii) hiring incentive.
The resolution noted that the implementation of the personalised services was completed at the end of 2013 and that, according to the provisional data, 269 persons participated in 313 different activities in the framework of the package, out of which 219 persons have found employment as a result of the provided support.
Parliament expected the training on offer to be adapted not only to the needs of the dismissed workers but also to the actual business environment.
Lastly, Parliament reiterated its call to the Commission to present a comparative evaluation of those data in its annual reports in order to ensure full respect of the existing regulations and that no duplication of Union-funded services can occur.