Gallaher Announces Closure of Two Factories in Austria/Solidarity with Austrian Tobacco Workers!

Posted to the IUF website 01-Feb-2005

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Two weeks after expiry of the employment guarantee Gallaher committed to as part of the terms of sale when it acquired Austria Tabak from the Austrian government in 2001, the company has announced a Europe-wide restructuring plan centred around the closure of 2 production sites in Austria.

Citing the need to 'enhance Gallaher's competitive position', the company intends to close its Schwaz (Tyrol) cigarette plant (100 workers) and its F�rstenfeld (Styria) cigar plant (48 workers) by the end of 2005. Additional jobs are at stake as a result of plans to reorganise the sales and distribution network, Tobaccoland, over the next two years. The IUF-affiliated agriculture, food and tobacco workers union ANG and the white-collar employees union GPA have launched a solidarity campaign in support of the workers and the communities which will be affected by the closure of these profitable and long-established plants. The unions intend to fight to keep these plants operating.

Act Now!

Click here to add your name to the list of supporters or to send your own message to the workers whose jobs are under threat! Enter your first name (Vorname) and family name (Nachname), then enter the name of your union and/or your place of work and your country in the box marked Betrieb and click on Abschicken.

Click here to send a message to the company, urging them to reconsider their strategy of maximising profits at the expense of jobs and livelihoods. Copies of your messages will automatically be forwarded to the ANG and to the IUF.

We thank you in advance for your solidarity and support.