Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
In October 2007, the closure of three Unilever plants was announced, which would result in a loss of 475 jobs. Employees from the three plants now have developed a plan to start a new plant for between 100 and 150 employees. The main activity will be packaging.
The plans are the result of negotiations between the unions, works councils and mangement of the three plants. Unilever will donate € 100,000 to investigate the plan and will transfer the machinery which is needed for the packaging for free. The employees will get a chance to participate in the ownership of the new plan. More than half of the employees have shown their interest to do so. The means to participate come from the social plan that has been agreed and which was quite generous. The plan was agreed following a four week period of strikes in all six Unilever plans in the Netherlands.
Background information on previous industrial actions at Unilever over plant closure is available on the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO).
Eurofound (2008), Unilever, Business expansion in Netherlands, factsheet number 66246, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/66246.