Zurich (awp) – The pharmaceutical group Novartis could cut 170 jobs at its Puurs site in the north-west of Belgium, in order to make it more competitive in the face of falling volumes. At the same time, some 40 million euros must be invested this year to strengthen the production capacities of organic products.
Novartis has started an “information and consultation phase with social partners on the proposed changes, which could affect 192 positions, including 170 with job cuts, including temporary workers,” the group said in a press release on Wednesday. .
The laboratory is committed to keeping its “employees informed of each step” and wants to “do everything possible to preserve certain jobs through product optimization,” according to a company spokesperson cited in the document.
“The Puurs site must adapt to declining volumes of the ophthalmic product portfolio and reductions in efficiency due to external factors leading to increased unit costs,” continued the Rhine giant.
With process optimization and continued investments, “Novartis aims to increase production volumes and seize opportunities for new drugs or new businesses,” he added.
The Puurs factory produces some 165 million units each year. The investment of 40 million euros (37.6 million Swiss francs) will be used to strengthen the site’s know-how in aseptic production.
A total of 1,700 people work for Novartis in Belgium at the production site in Puurs, the headquarters in Vilvoorde and the European Union relations office in Brussels.
In April 2024, Novartis announced a vast restructuring of its development activities, as part of which between 400 and 440 positions will disappear in Switzerland over the next two to three years.
al/rp
Related News :