BRUSSELS, 18 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) -
The European Parliament's Budget Committee has given its go-ahead to commit an item of 1.2 million euros to help relocate 303 workers laid off by the aluminum producer Alu Ibérica in Galicia, support that Brussels will be able to unlock once the plenary session of the European Parliament confirms its adoption in its May session.
The report approved on Monday night in Strasbourg (France) by the MEPs underlines the significant impact of the closure of the company on the labor market and the local economy of A Coruña, a city marked by a high unemployment rate that far exceeds the EU average.
The text, whose rapporteur is the Spanish socialist Eider Gardiazabal, points out the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine on economic competitiveness "throughout the Union, including Spain", although it adds that "the margins of the companies in Spain and their competitiveness have also been reduced by the current rise in inflation, particularly due to the increase in the cost of raw materials and energy".
The funds will come from the European Globalization Adjustment Fund (EGF) and the objective will be to pay for measures that help laid off people in the search for new jobs, for example with personalized guidance and advice, professional training and adaptation between the offer and the demand for employment.
The total estimated cost of the measures necessary to return the dismissed people to the labor market is 1.5 million euros, of which the European Commission has proposed that the community coffers assume 85%, that is, 1.2 million of euros; while the remaining 15% will be financed by the regional government.
The Spanish Government requested the support of the FEAG to help relocate those laid off after the bankruptcy of Alu Ibérica, a producer of primary aluminum from extracted ore, which was forced to close due to the increase in energy prices and raw Materials.
Programs eligible for this support must offer counseling services, job search assistance and matching job supply and demand, as well as adapted upskilling and professional retraining.
Workers can also receive training in the key skills and knowledge they need to find a new job, including basic computer skills, warehouse operations and logistics, and new welding techniques, as well as help to gain formal recognition of their skills and your previous work and learning experience.
In addition, participants will be able to benefit from an incentive of 200 euros per month, for six months, if they quickly re-enter the labor market.
Other elements covered by EU funding include support such as financial incentives to participate in job search and training activities, a contribution to travel expenses and dependent carer expenses, so that people with care responsibilities can participate in the measures.
