In the category of “Best employers” ranked by the Geneva headquarters of the Tobacco company Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in the last few years, one of the top places. In April, the West boasted of Swiss economic magazine “Bilan”, JTI for his meditation sessions, self-defense courses, be environmental-friendly staff, restaurant, Pneuwechsel to preferential rates and the flexible working hours during the summer.

Today, the mood in the group is tarnished seat. “At the 2. September informed us of the group management about the beginning of a renovation,” says an employee. In Geneva 268 of 1100 jobs will be lost to the group sitting in Manila, St. Petersburg and Warsaw specialists to pull together.

Long-time employee, identify your company, since 1971, in Geneva, not again. While the personnel Department informed individual colleagues about their imminent release, the other submitted verbally offers in other cities to continue to work to applicable terms and conditions.

It was stopped, not to mention internally about the content of the conversations, as many of the employees would only be released in 2021, definitely, say JTI employees to comply. Affected employees of the lowest level in the hierarchy from the departments of Finance, Marketing and sales, research and development and personnel. The JTI employees do not understand the step, also because the group in 2018, was hailed as “excellent year”.

Holdings welcomed tax reform

“Like any company of our Size, we are constantly seeking to improve our way of working, in order to remain competitive”, says dismantling group-speaker on the staff. The tobacco industry was in rapid development, therefore, JTI had carried out “an in-depth analysis of all the activities in order to optimize the company’s resources and prepare for the future”.

In Geneva, starting build, together with Japan Tobacco, other groups, including the cosmetics manufacturer Coty, announced the elimination of 350 positions, in order to strengthen its corporate seat in Amsterdam. Also, the food company Kellogg’s is closing in Geneva 2020 is a subsidiary. About 60 employees will lose their place.

Politically, the personnel reduction at a delicate time. 19. In may of this year, has agreed to the Geneva electorate of a tax reform. From 2020 onwards, the Canton of taxed company profits to a uniform tax rate to 13.99 percent. For the local companies, the tax burden significantly decreases – today, this is 24.2 percent.

But the 1200 international corporations pay a little more compared to today. For them, the special tax rate of 11.6 per cent for this year. The holding companies stressed in the run-up to the tax reform, however, expressly to be, the future of the tax regime to agree. And the Geneva chamber of Commerce and industry argued that only with the tax reform, the Canton remained a stable business location.

Geneva has denied not a structural Problem

The JTI speaker, that is reduction with tax reform. “The group has initiated its restructuring process 18 months prior to the vote on the tax reform. The Reform would have been rejected, this would have had for Geneva with the security to have a greater impact”, it means on the part of the JTI. Anyway, the set was not concerned with removal only of Geneva. Worldwide 3720 employees could be affected.

Dejan Nikolic, spokesperson of the Geneva Department of Economic Affairs, denied that the Canton in the medium term is faced with a structural Problem. Alone the tax conditions as a business location is not attractive. Japan Tobacco as well as Coty had confirmed their whereabouts in Geneva in the other, so Nikolic.

it is Only through the adoption of the tax reform, a cut in which removal was prevented. The Canton has since established a task force to find for redundant employees a new job as soon as possible.

consultation procedure aborted

after the announcement of the job cuts legally mandatory consultation procedures between Japan Tobacco and its employees has cancelled the group after six days. Now the negotiations for a social plan, in which representatives of the Union Unia participate for a run.

According to the trade unionists Alessandro Pelizzari represented Japan Tobacco International, also on this occasion, a “radical attitude”.

Unia regional Secretary, Alessandro Pelizzari referred to the previous proposal of JTI as “not satisfactory”. Because JTI will continue to release in Germany, personnel, Pelizzari requested the negotiated social plan and determines that the conditions in Geneva are much worse. Also in comparison with social plans in the rest of Geneva’s industry, the offer was below the average low, he says.

A hearing before the conciliation office at the collective work, the court has already taken place. According to trade unionists Pelizzari, the group is also represented on this occasion, a “radical attitude”. The tobacco company does not want to comment on the ongoing negotiations.

Created: 28.10.2019, 21:29 PM