US company Carpenter, formerly known as Recticel, has announced 20 job cuts at its Damstraat site in Wetteren. The decision was announced at a special works council and particularly affects white-collar workers: 11 of them will lose their jobs, in addition to six blue-collar workers and three executives. reports Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN).
© Carpenter
According to trade union ACLVB, the decision is due to persistently declining sales and production volumes, leading the company to cut fixed costs, especially labour costs within support services. Although the redundancies are considered multiple and therefore not covered by the Renault Act, the union regrets the lack of bargaining power. It calls for an additional severance payment on top of the statutory compensation.
The Wetteren site currently employs 354 people and includes a research centre for new applications in addition to production and recycling. The round of redundancies is separate from the takeover by Carpenter in 2023, stressed union official Kurt Marysse. Staff were informed of the decision on Tuesday afternoon.
Source: HLN