Image used for representational purpose. , Photo Credit: Reuters
The job cuts in the pharmaceuticals sales segment continue with the latest being multinational drugmaker AstraZeneca (AZ) Pharma India Ltd, which has let go of 103 of its employees in the company’s ‘primary care’ division. While 52 of these sales staff accepted the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) offer issued by the pharma major, another 51 had left.
AZ India’s primary care division had sales responsibility for two drugs – Betaloc, a beta blocker drug; and Imdur, which is prescribed for anginal pain. According to sources, the company is merging the marketing activities of these drug category portfolios with other divisions.
“Aged India has also illegally terminated the services of those employees who did not accept VRS. Some of these employees are in their thirties and forties. Why would he want to take voluntary retirement?” asked one of the employees who declined the company’s offer.
Another employee fired by AZ India said that the official reporting portal of 51 employees was blocked and the company directly transferred the termination compensation along with other dues to the bank accounts of these employees.
On Wednesday, representatives of several pharma companies, including AZ India, Albert David Ltd., Stadmed Pvt Ltd., Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., and Sanofi Pasteur India Pvt Ltd., protested outside AZ India’s sales depot in southeast Delhi.
Following the lay-off, the Federation of Medical and Sales Representative Associations of India (FMRAI) filed a complaint with the labor commissioner in Bengaluru. “The Management of Aged India attended the conciliation meeting on 28th February at the office of the Deputy Labor Commissioner…and assured us to continue the marketing activities of the primary care department…despite this we were shocked and appalled to learn that The management, in a letter to FMRAI general secretary Shantanu Chatterjee to Amanpreet, HR director, AZ India, said, “For unexplained and unconfirmed reasons, termination letters have been issued to all sales promotion employees on March 6 that their services will be terminated after March 10.” Will close after hours of Kaur Ahuja.
Most of the workers who lost their jobs belong to unions of medical representatives and allege that their sudden dismissal is a violation of labor law and tantamount to unfair labor practices. Mr. Chatterjee said that as per Section 33(1)(a) and (b) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, no employer shall, during the pendency of the proceedings, alter the service conditions without the express permission of the Conciliation (Labour) Officer concerned. Can do.
AZ India has meanwhile said that it has terminated the services of some of its sales promotion employees as a result of the company’s “evolving strategic priorities”.
The pharma major has witnessed healthy growth with a 24% increase in revenue from operations from ₹205.85 crore in Q3 FY22 to ₹257 crore in Q3 FY23. During the same period the net profit increased from ` 11.41 crore to ` 29.30 crore.
The layoff spree continues after domestic companies such as Zydus Lifesciences Limited, TTK Healthcare Limited and Indoco Remedies Limited laid off their employees. Among multinational companies, Novartis Ltd., Sanofi India Ltd. and Pfizer Ltd. have also followed suit.