Brussels, 29/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 29 July, the European Commission proposed to provide €5.3 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to help 1,441 former Microsoft workers in Finland to find new jobs.
Finland applied for support from the EGF following the dismissal of 2,161 workers at Microsoft and eight of its suppliers and downstream producers. The main reason behind the workforce reductions at Microsoft is the declining market share of its phones using the Microsoft Windows operating system in comparison to the two US-designed operating systems Android and iOS used by various Asian-based manufacturers.
The total estimated cost of the package is €8.9 million, with the EGF providing €5.3 million of this sum. The proposal now goes to the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers for approval. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)