1,332 former Van Hool employees have registered with the Flemish Employment Service
1,332 former employees of bus manufacturer Van Hool have registered with the Flemish employment and vocational training service VDAB. The around 2,500 people that have lost their jobs as a result of Van Hool going bankrupt had until yesterday (Tuesday 16 April) to register with VDAB. Around 100 companies have already expressed an interest in taking on former Van Hool staff. Van Hool was officially declared bankrupt last week.
On Wednesday VDAB Antwerp Province released figures on the number of former Van Hool employees that had registered with them. Of the 2,500 people that have lost their jobs, 1,332 have registered with the Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service.
This was done either at a physical registration session or by means of a telephone interview. It is not yet clear how many online registrations have been received.
The former Van Hool employees had until yesterday (Tuesday 16 April) to register in order to be entitled to unemployment benefit. According to VDAB many former Van Hool employees stopped by for an interview in order to find out what will happen next. They hope to possibly be able to start work with a new company at Van Hool site in Koningshooikt (Antwerp Province).
More than 100 companies
More than 100 companies have already shown interest in the former Van Hool employees that have registered with VDAB. Of the 2,500 that have lost their jobs around 1,000 will have to find work under their own steam and indeed some already have. How many former Van Hool employees will be able to join with the new company that will start up a the Koningshooikt site is not yet clear.