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23 February, 2009
ICEM Belgian affiliate FGBT/ABVV stepped up its campaign calling for protection of workers’ rights in the glass and ceramics sector.
Six hundred workers in the sector have lost their jobs, and over 1,000 contract workers have been sacked as global companies operating in Belgium face the worst economic downturn in decades.
The FGTB/ABVV accused several companies of taking advantage of the crisis by shifting production to countries where wages and social payments are much lower. The Vesuvius group, for instance, is accused of closing a profit-making site in a “race to the bottom.”
The economic downturn has seen scores of temporary and contract workers in glass and ceramics rendered jobless in Belgium without notice, prospect of job reclassification, or retraining.
The 1,000 short-term contract workers represent between 11-12% of the total workforce in these sectors.
Saint-Gobain, the Paris-based glass producer, announced last year that it would cut 4,000 jobs globally this year, many in Belgium.
The FGTB/ABVV calls attention to the obvious fact that although workers are hardest hit by the crisis, production quotas remain high and dividends to shareholders continue to flow.
Considering the government assistance and programmes available to employers, there should be no need for dismantling these sectors in Belgium.
The union pledges to continue the struggle throughout 2009 to restore workers’ jobs and rights, as well as to ensure that workers have the necessary purchasing power in Belgium.