British American Tobacco (BAT), the second-largest tobacco producer in the world, will close a Belgian center and move its activities to Romania while the trade unions say it is a "typical case of social dumping."

The 45 employees of the BAT Center in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, were announced about the move on Friday, February 1, according to local Adevarul.

Following an extraordinary meeting, the management announced its intention to close the Brussels center and move its activities to Romania, where BAT also has operations. The company wants to lay off 35 of the 45 employees at the center in Brussels.

Last year in June, BAT announced that it would invest EUR 800 million over the next five years in its factory in Ploiești, Romania. The investment, which will generate 200 new jobs in Romania, will support the expansion of BAT’s innovative tobacco heating product – glo – in countries across Europe during the second half of 2018.

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