The city of Ostend guides unemployed Daikin employees to a new job
At the beginning of this week it was announced that Daikin, a company that makes heat pumps and air conditioning, will not offer a new contract to 600 temporary employees at its branch in Ostend. The permanent employees will remain on board, but they will have to work for 12 days this year. According to the multinational, this intervention was necessary because sales of heat pumps are declining.
Task Force
The Economic House and the Welfare Department of the City of Ostend, together with the VDAB, are standing in the gap for the part of the workforce that Daikin is putting out. In a press release, the local government also calls the news a heavy blow for the city. It sets up a task force to find a solution for the group in question. It consulted with Daikin and received a guarantee from the company that despite the canceled jobs, Ostend still fits into its future plan.
“We want to guide employees whose temporary contracts have not been extended as best as possible in their search for a new job,” says Mayor Bart Tommelein. “We do this together with all players in Ostend and Daikin itself – still the largest employer in our city – is also committed to this.”
All partners will look at the individual’s skills, experience and ambition to guide that person into the appropriate job. According to the VDAB, there are 1,200 vacancies in the Ostend district and 700 of them come from the city.