Hungarian workers protest over Danone plans

Protests in France over planned closures announced recently by French food manufacturer Danone are being repeated in Hungary. A public campaign is underway to reverse the company's plans to close down a 101-year-old cookie factory in Gyôr, Hungary, the Budapest Sun​ reports. Fidelitas (the youth organization of leading Government coalition partner Fidesz) organised a demonstration against the closure of the Gyôri Keksz és Ostyagyár Kft plant which was due to take place on Wednesday. Trade unions planned a similar protest to take place on April 30. Gyôr's Mayor, József Balogh, said he planned to turn the issue into an "international scandal". Danone announced on March 29 that it planned to close down six of the company's 28 European factories as part of a restructuring of its biscuit sector to be completed in 2004. Almost 2,000 people in Europe will lose their jobs - 700 of these in Gyôr. The French company purchased the Gyôr factory from British firm United Biscuits last autumn.