As another multinational pharmaceutical company concludes its operations in Pakistan, its employees are concerned about potential mass layoffs under the new management. They are seeking assurances of job security and appealing for generous severance packages in line with the company’s international policies.
Bayer, the company in question, asserts that it has sold its assets to a local company that has guaranteed job security for existing employees for a minimum of two years. They argue that since the employees will continue to be employed, there is no need to provide severance packages.
Bayer is the most recent international pharmaceutical firm to withdraw from Pakistan, following the announcement made by American company Eli Lilly in November 2022.
Local employees of the German-based multinational staged a protest at the National Press Club, demanding compensation equivalent to 60 to 100 months‘ salaries, based on the termination policies applied by the company elsewhere in the world.
During the demonstration, affected employees appealed to the president, prime minister, and chief justice to address their situation and ensure that the company upholds their rights. Their lawyer, Malik Ashfaq Ahmed, informed Dawn that according to his clients, the company had violated its own regulations.
“The company has terminated the contracts of 450 field and marketing employees but has refused to provide them with layoff packages. Despite selling its assets to a local company in Pakistan, Bayer has failed to offer severance packages to approximately 450 employees, which is a violation of basic human rights,” he stated.
“The employees are urging decision-makers to intervene and ensure that the company adheres to its own policies. It is unacceptable that while companies follow laws and regulations when laying off employees in the West, they disregard their own rules in developing countries,” he added.
One of the protesting employees expressed concern that although Bayer employees were eligible for generous severance packages, once the company is fully transferred to the local firm, they may not receive similar benefits once the two-year job security period expires.
“This implies that the local company may terminate our employment after two years,” the employee lamented.
However, Bayer Pharma Managing Director Dr. Imran Ahmed Khan refuted the claims, stating that it was regrettable that the company’s employees were spreading misinformation.
“Not a single employee has been terminated. The truth is that Bayer has sold its assets and shares to a local company.
The agreement ensures that the local company will retain employees at the same salary levels an