A social plan has been approved at Japanese company Terumo, which produces medical equipment, in Haasrode (Flemish Brabant). Around 75 jobs will be lost – around 40 fewer than initially announced, the Christian trade union ACV reported on Tuesday.
The management of Terumo announced its intention to end the assembly of its 'Interventional Systems' products at its Haasrode site last September. The production of catheters will be relocated to Vietnam and Japan, where the majority of these tools are already manufactured, according to the ACV.
When the restructuring was announced, the number of jobs at risk was estimated at 115. Following negotiations with the unions, the redundancy plan will result in 75 job losses. An alternative has been found for around 40 members of staff, explained ACV union secretary Leen Vanderhulst.
The redundancy plan provides for bonuses for those made redundant, based on their length of service. Agreements are also planned on job security for those who remain. In addition, a bonus will be granted to those who take on new roles.
"We still don't agree with the closure of the department, but it is a balanced social plan," Vanderhulst commented. "98% of the staff approved it."
Terumo employs nearly 800 people in Haasrode, including some 300 workers and 500 employees. The company had already carried out a large-scale restructuring in 2015.
