Novartis workers stage flash strike over job cuts
pharmafile | November 21, 2011 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |Â Â Novartis, Switzerland, job cutsÂ
Workers at Novartis’ Nyon facility in Switzerland carried out a strike to protest the closure of the plant, but called it off after one day when the company agreed to look at alternatives that might save jobs.
A total of 320 jobs could go if the Nyon over-the-counter (OTC) drugs facility shuts down, with another 760 Swiss jobs due to go at another chemical plant in Basel. All told, the company expects to slash its workforce by around 2,000 in Western markets, offset by the creation of around 700 positions in Asia.
The trade union representing many of the threatened Swiss workers – Unia – maintains that 2,000 jobs will be lost if Nyon closes, because so many local businesses rely on the wages generated by staff at the drugmaker. The group has warned that additional strike action may be taken in future.
Novartis had criticised the strike as being an unproductive and made it hard to mount a constructive dialogue between management and workers, but after it was called off said it would meet with union representatives “in due course”.
Novartis chief executive Joe Jimenez has reportedly asked Armin Zust, who heads Novartis’ Swiss operations, to meet the disaffected staff.
The union has been pressuring Novartis in recent weeks, and convinced the company to publish a detailed audit report for the Nyon site earlier this month, claiming that “figures put forward by the company are questionable”.
Novartis said recently its decision will help it weather the upcoming loss of patent protection for its biggest selling drug Diovan (valsartan) for high blood pressure, which made $6 billion in sales last year.
Patents on Diovan expired earlier this week in various European markets, including the UK.
Phil Taylor
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