It is definitely one of the most significant plant closures in the country for these past few years. On April 4, 2014, Philip Morris, the tobacco firm, announced the closing of its factory in Bergen op Zoom, a town in the south of the country, on October 1, 2014. It is its largest production facility world-wide and its closing would bring the loss of 1,230 jobs, as PMI is one of the biggest employers in the region. As talks over the social plan started, the workers went on strike on May 28 and a trial of strength is taking shape between a management that claims to have offered highly advantageous social measures and unions that are preparing another round of mobilization if they don’t get more.
The announcement of the factory shutdown provoked a wave of criticism not only from the side of the trade unions and the workforce, but also from local council officials as the impact in the region is very significant and the employment outlook in this part of the country is not positive.
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