European Economic
and Social Committee
Meeting with Germán Barrios, President of the Castile and Leon ESC
A delegation from the ESC in the Castile and Leon region – led by its president, Germán Barrios, and made up of regional representatives from the CCOO and UGT trade unions – met with the EESC President, Georges Dassis, who was accompanied by Isabel Caño Aguilar, a member of the Workers' Group, to inform him of the problems facing the region that had been caused by companies moving away.
The delegation drew the president's attention to the severe impact on employment and the regional economy caused by these relocations, which had taken place despite the fact that the businesses involved were turning a profit.
The most recent unfortunate event had been the closure of the Lauki dairy business by its owner Lactalis (a multinational), which had had a very negative effect on dairy workers and producers.
The regional delegation called for companies that had received public aid and had breached national or international law by dismissing workers due to relocation within the European Union to be ineligible for public aid in their new locations. The delegation was of the view that a European code of conduct should be promoted so as to establish principles and set out best practices in this field.
Georges Dassis took the delegation's comments on board and expressed his solidarity with the workers in the region who had lost their jobs. He invited the delegation to seek support from DG Regio, which manages European funds.
The EESC, for its part, would assess the work that had already been done on this matter and, if necessary, would draw up an opinion to suggest that the situation should be reassessed.