The Dutch Trade Union Federation (Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging) — (FNV) has reviewed ASML’s response to its planned reorganisation. The union concludes that the justification for these changes is inadequate across several key areas.
ASML states that the plans are based on business and organisational needs. However, the union argues that figures demonstrating this necessity are missing. There are no concrete data, future scenarios, or workload analyses to show why reducing the workforce is unavoidable. As a result, the union believes the urgency of the reorganisation cannot be objectively determined.
The union also claims the process lacks transparency. ASML reportedly plans to develop selection criteria only after consulting the works council (ondernemingsraad). This makes it impossible to assess in advance if the reorganisation is necessary or how it will be carried out. Additionally, the role of the consultancy firm McKinsey remains unclear, making it difficult to assess the extent to which its advice influenced the plan’s design.
Reorganisation reasons
The trade union raised further concerns regarding the continuity and quality of work. While ASML acknowledges that the restructuring could lead to the loss of important knowledge and experience, the union says the company has proposed no measures to mitigate this risk. ASML claims the changes will significantly improve efficiency, such as increasing the time spent on engineering from 48% to 80%, but the union considers this estimate unrealistic and unsubstantiated.
Information regarding the impact on personnel is also incomplete. ASML does not yet have a clear overview of how many employees will be affected in specific departments or roles. This data is essential for legal compliance and for a fair redeployment process. The union adds that the matching process for new roles is only in its early stages, leaving staff uncertain about their future.
Finally, inconsistencies exist regarding employment terms. Although ASML states there will be no consequences for employment conditions during a “block move,” the company also suggests that scheduling systems may change. The union points out that such changes do, in fact, affect employment terms. The (FNV) concludes that ASML has provided insufficient factual evidence to justify the scope of the reorganisation and warns that the current schedule may be unrealistic.
NEWS BRAINPORT | FNV
