Type
Internal restructuring
Country
France
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Sector
Manufacturing
Manufacture Of Chemicals And Pharamceuticals
Manufacture Of Basic Pharmaceutical Products And Pharmaceutical Preparations
21.10 - Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products

232 - 256 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
8 March 2019
Employment effect (start)
1 July 2019
Foreseen end date

Description

The pharmaceutical group Sanofi has announced to cut 232 positions in its commercial activities in France. This reduction in headcount is in addition to the 750 announced by the group in December. The job cuts affect the Group's commercial division, Sanofi-Aventis France. This division employs more than 1,700 people, including some 1,500 in its commercial activities.

This reorganisation aims to 'preserve competitiveness and better meet the expectations of healthcare professionals', according to Sanofi. According to the CGT union, 'rather 256 positions should be eliminated', using different methods: voluntary redundancy plans, economic layoffs and employee transfers. Sanofi explains that the French market is stagnating, that there is strong price pressure and that drugs are increasingly being sold to specialist doctors rather than general practitioners. Therefore, Sanofi needs more qualified salespeople but less salespeople that it currently has.

The group has cut positions in France in the last years: in 2016 (657 jobs), 2014 (200 jobs), 2012 (270 jobs),


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2019), Sanofi, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 97313, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/97313.