Brussels, 03/08/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 3 August, the European Commission announced that it had paid a total of 30 million euros to help workers made redundant in Belgium and Denmark. This aid (which was approved by the two branches of the budgetary authority around one month ago) comes from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and concerns a total of 4609 workers.
For Belgium, the aid consists of 9.5 million euros to help 2834 workers made redundant by General Motors Belgium and four of its downstream suppliers and producers back into work. Due to a drop in demand for cars as a result of the economic crisis, the board of General Motors took the decision to close the main production unit of Opel Astra in its Antwerp factory. The district of Antwerp, where 75 % of the redundancies were made and where nearly 66% of the redundant workers live, is the worst hit administrative region, followed by the districts of Termonde and Saint-Nicolas.
The aid in favour of Denmark (EUROPE 10413) consists of 20.4 million euros and will help 1775 workers made redundant from the wind power production and naval construction sectors find new jobs. The Odense Steel Shipyard and wind turbine manufacturer LM Glasfiber shed 1356 and 1650 jobs respectively. (L.C./transl.fl)