She has documented facts that I myself consider fundamental, in particular the fact that working women account for the dominant share of employment in the processing industry, where the majority of jobs require fewer qualifications, are manual and are badly paid.

– (PL) Madam President, only between 14% and 25% of working women in the European Union are employed in industry.

The Commission will continue to pursue all the necessary policies to face up to globalisation, ensure a future for industry in the Member States and help workers of both sexes when the companies for which they work are restructured.

[Translation] Mr. Pierre Paquette (Joliette, BQ): Mr. Speaker, the minister's comments show that in addition to the people of Mirabel, older workers, the unemployed, young people and women, the government, through its inaction, is now getting ready to abandon clothing and textile industry workers as well.

– (FR) Mr President, having worked for over thirty years for one of the major international pharmaceutical companies, I can tell you that the main concern of this industry, whether European or otherwise, is neither people’s health – and especially not the health of people who cannot afford to pay for their medicines – nor the well-being of its employees, whom it does not hesitate to make redundant by the thousand whenever a merger or concentration takes place in the sector or to drive hard, day and night, even the women, in manufacturing and packing medicines. These practices are all the more scandalous because the pharmaceuticals indust ...[+++]ry is one of the most profitable of all. The sole concern of this industry is the financial well-being of its shareholders.

These odious measures were added to punish repeat offenders - workers in seasonal industries who are repeatedly laid off and claim insurance protection when their source of employment goes into hibernation.