AMSTERDAM, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Tata Steel unit Corus has
applied for Dutch government financial aid to temporarily
reduce the work hours of 4,600 workers to cope with the global
economic slowdown, Dutch news agency ANP reported on Monday.
Under the terms of the government support, if approved,
Corus workers in the Netherlands would be paid 70 percent of
their wage via unemployment benefits, while Corus would pay the
other 30 percent over a period of six weeks, starting in
January, a spokesman for trade union FNV told ANP.
Corus employs 11,300 workers in the Netherlands.
The arrangement can be extended up to three times, for a
total period of 24 weeks and to qualify for the scheme, firms
must have reported a 30 percent decline in sales in the past
two months.
Dutch trade union De Unie said on its website Corus planned
to apply for the government assistance and that it had reached
an agreement with unions.
Corus was not immediately for comment.
The Dutch government announced a range of measures last
month worth about 6 billion euros ($7.8 billion), or 1 percent
of the country's GDP, to help support the flagging economy.
The government-funded shorter working times was one of the
measures agreed and the Social Affairs Ministry said on Sunday
15 applications had been lodged for the work reduction scheme.
Applications came from businesses in the metal-electronics
sector, car industry and transport sector, the ministry said.
(Reporting by Aaron Gray-Block; editing by Carol Bishopric)
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