The British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is set to eliminate 1,217 jobs at its Belgian factories, the company told employees at a meeting on Wednesday.
The company says it wants to restructure and prioritise the development of "promising vaccines and medicines." The majority of positions being eliminated in Belgium are within research and development, manufacturing and international support functions.
According to the ABVV Chemie trade union, 482 office workers and 735 staff members are affected by the restructuring. No production jobs are at risk. It had previously reduced its workforce in Belgium by 850 due to attrition and not extending temporary contracts.
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GSK says it will remain Belgium's largest pharmaceutical employer even after the reorganisation. It also assures staff that GSK Belgium will continue to play a key role within the group.
The vaccine manufacturer is one of the largest employers in Wallonia, with sites in Wavre and Rixensart in Walloon Brabant and Gembloux in Namur. The company employs 8,500 people.
According to a representative of the Christian trade union, GSK made a profit of €2.4 billion in Belgium last year.
