Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Unilever group has decided to gather and to integrate its Dutch and Belgian companies into one that will be called “Unilever Benelux”.
This reorganisation will concern the sales/marketing departments but also the HR, finance, communication, legal and logistic departments. The clients' departments will keep their own sites in both countries. This reorganisation aims at reinforcing the competitiveness of the group in the two countries. The new Benelux centre will be based in Brussels and in Rotterdam, however the main decisions' centres will be located in the Dutch city. This restructuration will cause collective redundancies in Belgium and in the Netherlands. In Belgium, the number of jobs cuts is estimated at about 200 jobs.
As of November 2007, a social agreement has been reached following the announcement of internal restructuring made by Unilever in July 2007. Trade unions hope to reduce the number of suppressed jobs from 200 to 188. Moreover they hope that a maximum of people will benefit from early retirements. For the workers who will stay on the site, the management ensured they will keep their job at least until the end of 2009.
Eurofound (2007), UNILEVER, Internal restructuring in Belgium, factsheet number 65572, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/65572.