THE fight to ensure 640 workers facing redundancy at Eon in Rayleigh are treated fairly has been taken on by a Euro MP.

Richard Howitt, Labour MEP for the East of England, will meet with staff, managers and union leaders when he visits the company in London Road tomorrow to investigate allegations the company has broken European law by not consulting workers over the closure.

There are also concerns among staff and the union the company is penny-pinching on redundancy payments.

The energy giant will close the site in June and move work to other call centres in the UK.

Mr Howitt will hear directly from union leaders about alternative plans that could save more than 300 jobs.

He said: “I will be urging E.On to avoid any unfair treatment of its staff, who are not only having to deal with the spectre of unemployment, but also fight for a just settlement from the company. They are entitled to be treated better.

“Under European law, big international companies like E.On have a legal duty to consult with their workforce on changes that affect them.

“I am deeply concerned to hear proper consultation may not have taken place and as a result, an opportunity to save more than 300 jobs has not yet been seized.

“For a German parent company that made £60million profit last year to penny-pinch over redundancy pay here in Essex seems unfair to workers who I know have given years of dedicated service.”

Workers at the energy giant’s Rayleigh base handle customer service and payment enquiries and have been based in the town for more than three decades.

Scott Somerville, spokesman for E.On, said: “We have been working from the outset to consult with employees and we continue to work with them.

“It is a very difficult time for everyone and we understand the difficulties they face. We are doing everything we can to help including talking to stakeholders and the MP and MEP to help their constituents as much as possible.

“We are confident in the processes we have got in place.”