Strasbourg, 21/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - Questioned, once more, by the European Parliament over the role that Europe can play in the face of the wave of redundancies resulting from company restructuring, especially those at the European level, the European Commission confirmed, on Thursday evening in Strasbourg, through Gunter Verheugen who replaced his colleague Anna Diamantopoulou, the importance that it attaches to the consolation and information of works. In 2002, the Commission will examine the possibility of revising the 1994 Directive on European works councils, recalled Mr Verheugen, while noting that, as of this year, it will assess the implementation of this Directive and that we have already begun organising the preparatory works. Last week, the Commissioner for Social Affairs, Anna Diamantopoulou had proposed a "check list" to companies, so that they may react in a faster and more effective manner, noted Mr Verheugen, when feeling that it will be necessary to use all these instruments in an optimal manner. Anticipation, risk prevention, adapting worker capabilities, these are the elements of answers from Europe to these problems, he asserted.
During the short debate, the German Christian Democrat Winfried Menrad noted that the restructuring, in general, has been less painful each time that workers have been duly informed and consulted. Mr Menard, who outlined the relatively positive experience of Germany in this matter. The Europe of the future must be the Europe of workers, asserted Mr Menard. The member of Democratici di sinistra, Fiorello Ghilardotti, with regard to the Directive on the conciliation and information of workers, recalled that the Parliament concluded its first reading three years ago, but that the Council has not yet fulfilled its responsibilities. Can we expect a breakthrough during the next Council (11 June), since it seems that the Member States have lifted their reservations?, she wondered. Also, once more, she insisted on the need for sanctions in case of any omissions from the Directive. The European Commission is "firmly decided" to work for the adoption of this Directive, including adequate sanctions, and if necessary by qualified majority, assured Mr Verheugen.
The French Socialist Harlem Desire posed, for his part, the problem of the revision of the 1994 Directive on European works councils (the Directive is "too vague", he asserted, and this "pioneering text risks becoming outdated" if it is not revised), and also that of the rules on mergers, when feeling that, during mergers and acquisitions, the "employment" aspect must be taken into account, and the Social Affairs Commissioner must be invited to comment alongside the Competition Commissioner. The President of the United Left/Nordic Green Left grouping, Francis Wurtz, who had insisted that the debate be held, pointed out that since the Michelin scandal in October 1999, he was now reminding the Council and Commission for the eighth time of the urgent need to affirm companies' social responsibilities and lay down significant rights for workers. Mr Wurtz asked the Commission and the Council (the latter was absent) what they intended to do by the 11 June meeting in order to get round the objections of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and even Germany? (Germany's Chancellor recently described his European vision of the future.) The French Green MEP Marie Anne Isler Béguin (who was speaking on behalf of her colleague Helène Flautre) said that according to the Commission, more than a quarter of a million redundancies had been announced in recent weeks across the world and called for readable, enforceable European social law that keeps up to date and is on a par with competition law. Ms Isler Béguin described as cross-the-board champions of contempt for their staff the companies Marks and Spencer and Michelin; the companies considered in their sector as model companies socially (Eriksson, Danone and Philips); and new players in the transport liberalisation field - AOM and Air Liberté - which force their staff to bear the costs of their failed merger ambitions. Finally, the French Socialist Marie-Helène Gillig commented that representatives of Marks and Spencer's in Strasbourg had met with the President of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine, that very day.