Brussels, 16/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 16 September, the European Commission proposed granting Spain aid of €84,000 as part of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in order to help 300 workers - who were made redundant from the construction materials manufacturing sector in Comunidad Valenciana (Spain) - find new work. The funds requested by the Spanish authorities should enable former employees from 140 small and medium-sized enterprises to be helped. The proposal now has to receive the green light from the European Parliament and European Council.
Spain requested the EGF assistance after 630 workers were made redundant from 140 SMEs in the region of Valencia - SMEs which manufactured construction materials, such as plasterboard and concrete products. The Commission stresses that these redundancies are the consequence of increased competition from construction materials produced in other parts of the world - a situation exacerbated by the economic crisis. China increasingly dominates the international construction materials market. Furthermore, other countries, such as India, continue to increase their production.
The measures co-financed by the EGF are intended to help the 300 workers having the most difficulty finding alternative employment. The arrangement should provide personalised counselling and guidance and should offer a skills assessment and outplacement services, general training and re-training, individual vocational training, assistance in creating a company, outplacement incentives, job-search allowances and a contribution to travel expenses. The total cost of the arrangement is estimated at €1.68 million, of which €840,000 would be covered by the EGF. (OL/transl.fl)