MPs criticise government approach to Organon job losses

Tuesday 20 July 2010

MPs have crticised the government's approach to the loss of 2,175 jobs at the Organon pharmceutical plant in Oss, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Organon's new owners MSD announced it would shut down the entire R&D division and transfers its women's health research to the US as part of a global reorganisation programme.

Around 1,000 high-skilled jobs will go through the closure of the R&D department. The rest of the jobs will be lost in production, reducing the 4,500-strong workforce by half.

Contact

Although most parties do not believe the decision to slash jobs can be reversed, they are calling on ministers to outline how they plan to help affected workers, the paper says. MPs also want to know how ministers will shore up the Netherlands' ailing pharmaceuticals industry.

'The Netherlands must keep active contact with companies which are of fundamental importance to our country,' said CDA MP Eddy van Hijum. 'I want to know why it has gone so wrong in this case.'

MPs are sympathetic to the development of a life-science business park in Oss, in order to keep expertise in the country, the paper says.

Personal mission

Socialist party leader Erik Roemer called on prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende to make it his 'personal mission' to do all he can to keep the Oss operations intact.

The prime minister's intervention in 2006 when thousands of jobs were threatened at the Nedcar plan in Born is a case in point, Roemer said in an open letter published on nu.nl.

MPs are returning from summer holiday for an emergency debate on the closure on Wednesday.

© DutchNews.nl

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