Pfizer, the Pharmaceutical company that became famous for its COVID-19 jab that it produced in Belgium, is to axe 255 jobs at its Puurs factory in Antwerp Province. The company says it has made a ‘global operational efficiency exercise’.
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Pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer to shed 255 staff: “People see their future going up in smoke”
Colin Clapson
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No forced redundancies are planned in Puurs. ‘The reduction of the workforce will be achieved by natural wastage,’ Pfizer explains. ‘People leaving the company will not be replaced, temporary contracts will not be extended. People will also be moved internally.’ A total of 255 jobs are disappearing as a result of the ‘international operational efficiency exercise’.
‘A lot of temporary staff were recruited because extra capacity was needed, for example to produce the corona vaccines,’ says Paul Schoeters of the Christian trade union ACV. ‘People took risks and hoped for a future at Pfizer. They are now getting this negative message that they have to leave and cannot look forward to a permanent job at the company.’
‘We understand that fewer people are needed because volumes are falling, but it doesn't seem logical to impose a worldwide measure that means every site has to make cuts,’ Schoeters adds. ‘Despite Pfizer's big profits, we - in Puurs - apparently do not meet the management's expectations. If forecasts are not met, savings apparently have to be made. That seems like an upside-down world to us.’
Investment plan stands firm
The investment plan for Puurs - the €1.2 billion proposed in 2022 - remains intact. ‘If you drive past Pfizer, you see a lot of construction work in progress. There are still a lot of projects that are ongoing, and they are continuing. So there is no question of stopping projects for reasons of economy. There are no worries about the continued existence of the factory in Puurs, but it is a heavy blow for a lot of people who see their future at Pfizer going up in smoke.’
Pfizer in Puurs employs nearly 5,000 people.