Thales : the European works council meets the Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission

Taking into account social and industrial risks. At the meeting the members of the European works council (EWC) emphasized the social and industrial risks linked to total or partial cession of activity. They considered that “the sharing at any level of this fully integrated industrial organisation will endanger this European industrial tool whose performance has made it world leader”. The members of the European works council expressed their opposition “to all solutions that do not take into account the long-term future of jobs in Germany and France”. “Any response of the Commission, explained the steel federation of the CFDT union (FGMM-CFDT) based solely on the maintenance of a balance of “perfect competition” irrespective of the development of this industrial sector in Europe, would have devastating impact on employment”. The EWC pleaded before the DG Competition for “measures preserving this industrial sector, maintaining and developing employment in this strategic area and guaranteeing European capacity and competence, a token of its independence”. “ We were received by people attentive and sensitive to our approach and to the document we presented, stated Guy Rolland (CFDT), secretary of the European works council at Thales to e-europnews. They explained that it was necessary to change the image we have of them because their decisions also take account of industrial impact”. The European works council now intends to contact the permanent EU organisations concerned as well as European MPs in order to develop their awareness of this issue.