Fifty Philips employees were informed on Monday afternoon that they have to leave the medical technology company, reported FNV director Hans Wijers. Philips is having to considerably reorganise. A total of 1100 jobs in the Netherlands are at risk. 700 to 750 are expected to be from the Brabant area. The first fifty redundancies were in Best at the EPD Solutions department.
The Philips employees heard Monday about the reorganisation at their employer via the media. A meeting followed in the afternoon for the affected staff. The FNV director heard the news of the first dismissals late in the afternoon.
“We weren’t aware of this beforehand. This department has been up for sale but Philips could not find a buyer. The employees have been told that their department is now closing,” said Wijers. In Best, fifty people work in this department. There are also a hundred EHR employees in Israel who will now lose their jobs.
Job market
It concerns the EPD Solutions department. The company is known for its innovative technology where a 3D image can be made of the cardiovascular system. Philips acquired the company in 2018.
The fifty employees are covered by the central social plan. That plan contains all the rules that the employer and employee must follow in order to come to a dismissal. This includes matters such as severance payment. A job fair with companies from the region is planned in April or May for the redundant employees. They will then be able to discuss, with potential employers, any available positions.”
Other employees
For all other Philips employees, meetings per department will follow in the coming period, said Wijers. “According to the timeline outlined today, everyone should know by mid-April whether or not there is a place for them.”
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translated by: Shanthi Ramani
