Teva to cut over 300 production jobs in Israel

Teva, one of the world’s biggest generics firms and the biggest company in Israel, has revealed it plans to slash around between 300 and 350 jobs from its 7,000-strong workforce in its home country, 4,000 of which work in production

The layoffs will reportedly occur at one facility in the city of Kfar Saba and Teva Tech, a Ramat Hovav site in the southern Negev desert. Teva has begun consultation with committees from both sites and with the Histradut, Israel’s national trade union centre, to discuss

The Histradut has responded by calling a work dispute, giving the affected employees the opportunuity to strike in 14 days’ time. Spokesman Yaniv Levy said, "We will not accept any unilateral measure in which workers are laid off at Teva. We expect the company's management to act responsibly, and not to involve Teva's plants in Israel in a series of conflicts that will escalate labour relations."

Teva itself issued a statement which read: "In light of the complex business reality the entire pharmaceutical industry and Teva in particular face, Teva has been implementing in recent years a global reorganisation. Large parts of this plan have already been completed in most of the countries Teva operates."

"The process is being conducted in open and transparent consultation with the Histadrut and the workers' committees. Teva is implementing this difficult process with all due gravity, while taking care to exercise maximum sensitivity, and with constant attention from the company's managers, who are maintaining an open channel with every employee in order to ensure a fair and respectful process.”

Matt Fellows