22/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - Speaking before the trade union representatives of the company Sodexho (world leader for catering and services), on Wednesday, the president of the EP Socialist Group, Martin Schulz, expressed his indignation about the working conditions of Sodexho personnel in EP restaurants and canteens. These employees, who have been on strike for several days, are protesting because they have to work up to 11 hours a day four days running to then be “made redundant” during Strasbourg plenary sessions. In a press release, Mr Schulz hopes that the Sodexho management will have more consideration for its own workers and that it will provide a solution to the problems of irregular salaries and benefits and abusive use of temporary workers. If this is not the case, he says, the EP would have no other choice but to bring into question its contract with Sodexho. On Friday, President Borrell took the floor calling on the EP secretary general to recall his responsibilities to Sodexho, which is invited to find a solution as soon as possible in response to the employees' demands. Josep Borrell, who stresses in a press release that the EP has always promoted the protection of social rights and the constant improvement of working conditions, notes that Sodexho has opened negotiations, above all undertaking to reduce the number of temporary workers employed.