Cheshire pharma giant in talks over job cuts

Drugs pricing issues highlighted

The GMB union claims pharmaceutical group Astrazeneca plans to cut almost 100 jobs at its Macclesfield operations.

However, AstraZeneca disputes the union’s figure.

GMB staff said the redundancy exercise would be a “hammer blow” for UK manufacturing.

Union officials say the firm has announced plans to make 94 staff on the Macclesfield campus redundant following the introduction of more efficient working methods.

They said bosses have informed staff about their plans, and that formal consultations over the redundancies began yesterday.

The firm is reportedly aiming to complete the redundancy exercise by next year.

Stephen Boden

GMB staff claim the job cuts are linked to investment by the company in a new packing facility which requires fewer staff.

They added that the news is “devastating for GMB members and their families”.

Stephen Boden, GMB organiser, said: “This is a hammer blow for manufacturing in the North West – and the UK as a whole.

“The decision to restructure manufacturing capacity is devastating news for GMB members and their families.”

He added: “We will work closely with affected members to mitigate compulsory job losses and to secure the best possible deal through the consultation period.”

An Astrazeneca spokesperson told TheBusinessDesk.com this afternoon: “We have begun discussions with our packing employees over some changes the business needs to make that will affect some existing roles.

“The reason for the changes is to ensure Macclesfield remains a competitive supplier of key medicines to patients around the world.

“At the end of the process in 2020 we anticipate fewer than 30 employees will leave the business.”

They added: “As we have only just begun talking to our employees it is inappropriate for us to discuss these changes further.”

In August 2017, TheBusinessDesk.com reported that Britain’s second-largest drug manufacturer was to make a multi-million-pound investment into technical improvements to its factory in Macclesfield where 1,800 people are employed.

The £150m Cheshire facility produces breast cancer drugs like Zoladex, one of AstraZeneca’s biggest selling products, despite the company moving all its research and development from the Alderley Park laboratories to Cambridge.

A spokeswoman for the company said the move was “part of our ongoing investment in the UK”.

AstraZeneca has been approached for a comment.

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