Europe: MEPs Vote on Supporting Redundant Tobacco Workers

Source from:  New Europe  03/27/2013

MEPs in the European Parliament's Budget Committee are to vote this afternoon on providing €3.9 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to help 270 workers made redundant by Austria Tabak GmbH and by 14 suppliers and downstream producers with their re-integration into the labour market.

The figure represents almost €14,500 per worker.
 
Austria Tabak is owned by Japan Tobacco International, the third largest tobacco company in the world, behind Philip Morris and British American Tobacco, with 48,529 employees. In April 2012 they announced an annual profit of $3.94 billion, a rise of 32% on the previous year.
 
The company also has several global brands, including Winston, Camel, Benson & Hedges, Silk Cut and Mild Seven. They also produce hand rolling tobacco (Old Hoborn, Amber Leaf), cigars (Hamlet) and Swedish Snus (Gustavus Snus).

The assistance The package is designed to help the workers by offering them career advice, job search assistance, job mentoring, various types of training and qualification measures.
 
The total cost of the package is €6 million or €22,222 per person. Enditem