France objects to Unilever's social plan
A French court has suspended a social plan drawn up by Unilever for its research and development unit at Meux. The unit is to be transferred to the Netherlands but the tribunal in Nanterre has ruled that the plan has no economic justification.
A French court has suspended a social plan drawn up by Unilever for its research and development unit at Meux. The unit is to be transferred to the Netherlands but the tribunal in Nanterre has ruled that the plan has no economic justification.
The ruling followed legal action by an inter-union group which argued that the dismantling of the R&D unit was the first stage in closing down the entire site which employs some 300 people. The unit focuses on the development of hair care products for the European market for leading brands including Sunsilk, Dove and Timotei.
Unilever closed its Amora site near Dijon in 2009 together with a unit at Appoigny. A further project to restructure the French HQ at Rueil-Malmaison with the loss of 153 jobs has been announced.