Unfortunately, it is very timely that we should be discussing these issues today in the light of current examples of restructuring .

The Anglo-Dutch steel company Corus is a classic example of a company making decisions based on profit and with no regard for the disastrous social costs of its actions. Corus has just announced total job losses of 6,000 in the United Kingdom - nearly 3,000 in my own constituency, Wales. Despite many months of speculation over plant closures, the company was unwilling to reveal its future plans to the government, let alone its own workforce until the formal announcement was made on 1st February this year. There was no prior consultation with the workforce, although since announcing the decision, the company has been what they call "consulting".

This is why we must support this resolution to have effective laws which protect workers. Of course, in the UK we already have much weaker laws, making it easier and cheaper for multinationals to sack workers than elsewhere in the European Union.

But for all member states it is important to adopt the Directive on the Information and Consultation of Workers without delay, together with a review of the Collective Redundancies Directive which offered little protection to the Corus workers. Companies cannot be free to wreak such havoc on peoples' lives and communities. There are controls and sanctions which we can use. We must make sure they are effective.