WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1157/98 by Roberta ANGELILLI to the Commission. Postal Market dispute
Date: 1998-04-24
Institutions: ANGELILLI, European Parliament
Subjects: Italy, cessation of trading, collective dismissal, decentralisation, female unemployment, free competition, industrial restructuring, job security, telephone, worker consultation

22.2.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 50/13

Pursuant to the Commission(cid:146)s proposal concerning the rules for the participation of undertakings, research
centres and universities and for the dissemination of research results for the fifth framework programme (1998-
2002) (1), any legal entity established in the Azores will still be able to participate in indirect research and
technological development (RTD) actions and receive Community funding under the conditions applicable to
legal entities established in the Member States.

(1) COM(97) 587 final.

(1999/C 50/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1157/98

by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission

(24 April 1998)

Subject: Postal Market dispute

In the last days of February 1998, the Italian press reported the possible closure of five telephone central offices in
Bari, Cagliari, Napoli, Catania and Rome operated by (cid:145)Otto Versand(cid:146), the German company that owns Postal
Market, in line with a restructuring plan aimed at centralizing the service. That could cause the indiscriminate
dismissal of over 100 female employees, which would be a severe blow to regions such as these in southern Italy,
where unemployment rates are higher, particularly for women.

In view of the foregoing,

1.

does the Commission believe that it would be appropriate, without prejudice to the principle of free
competition, to ask the Italian Government to intervene to take any measures necessary to ensure that the
restructuring operation takes into account the need to maintain employment in areas suffering from serious
economic depression?

2. What Community measures exist, and might possibly be used in the case in question, to protect the jobs of

the 100 female employees who are in danger of being dismissed?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 1998)

With regard to the collective redundancies which may occur following restructuring of the company Postal
Market, Article 2(1) of Council Directive 75/129/EEC of 17 February 1975 on the approximation of the laws of
the Member States relating to collective redundancies (1), amended by Council Directive 92/56/EC of 24 June
1992 (2), requires an employer contemplating collective redundancies to begin consultations with the workers(cid:146)
representatives in good time with a view to reaching an agreement.

In accordance with paragraph 2 of the above article, these consultations must, at least, cover ways and means of
avoiding collective redundancies or reducing the number of workers affected, and of mitigating the consequences
by recourse to accompanying social measures aimed, inter alia, at aid for redeploying or retraining workers made
redundant.

(1) OJ L 48, 22.2.1975.
(2) OJ L 245, 26.8.1992.

(1999/C 50/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1161/98

by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission

(29 April 1998)

Subject: Waste disposal crisis in Rome and relevant Italian legislation

In view of the fact that the Malagrotta waste tip, which takes refuse from the whole Commune of Rome, will
shortly be full up, Mr Hermanin, the member of the regional council responsible, has stated that a large proportion
of the waste will soon be directed to new incineration facilities. Many experts in the field consider that only a
small proportion of the waste could be incinerated in this way, and even then there would be a high risk of
pollution, as the material would not be sorted adequately.