Following Consignia’s shock announcement that 1,400 jobs will be cut in Wales Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales Euro-MP Jill Evans has challenged Tony Blair to adopt EU rules to strengthen the rights of workers in the UK.

The Information and Consultation Directive says that large-scale redundancies such as those proposed by Consignia, or the closure of an establishment such as that experienced at Corus last year, should be postponed pending consultation with the workers. Whilst many EU countries accepted the proposals the Labour government pushed for a seven-year exemption.

Speaking from Strasbourg Ms Evans, who is a member of the European Parliamentary Committee for Employment and Social Affairs said:

"Consignia is one of Wales’ largest employers, and for it to propose cutting its workforce by 15% without proper consultation with the unions is totally unacceptable.

"Welsh workers should be afforded the same rights as their colleagues elsewhere in the EU and I’m very disappointed at the Labour Government’s lack of urgency when it comes to safeguarding the rights of workers in Wales.

"Following the Corus job losses last year the government promised to ensure that such a situation didn’t arise again. Barely a year later 30,000 families are facing a bleak Christmas. One wonders how many thousands more must lose their jobs before Labour take action."

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