Blokker firings "painful": labour union

Labor unions will go into discussion with retail chain Blokker today to discuss a social plan for the 440 employees that will lose their jobs, as the store announced yesterday. FNV Handel called that announcement "extremely painful news for the staff". "There is only one issue I want to discuss tomorrow afternoon: a good social plan for the people who are ending up on the street!" said Twan van Lieshout, directer of FNV Handel. According to Di Giacomo Russo of CNV: "Blokker is fortunately a very different story than V&D. The balance is healthy and we can therefore make proper arrangements for the affected staff." FNV is not completely surprised by the news of the layoffs. The union had already received signals about a "silent" reorganization from several of its members. According to Van Lieshout, this will particularly affect older workers. "People with a long employment relationship are put under pressure to voluntarily agree to resign in exchange for a meager fee."