Astellas gives us all the shove
9 February 2007
Currently on sick leave because of a bad back, my response to the
company's announcement yesterday afternoon that basically the entire
Munich operations will be flattened by the end of this year is one more
of apathy than shock or upset. I'm glad I'm not at work at the moment,
while emotions are running rather high – only to be expected of
course. You can't help but be bitter, despite the fact that we could
all see it coming. You'd have to live in a cave not to realise that our
days were numbered. But it still hurts and inevitably the employees'
meeting yesterday – so it seems – turned rather evil at
times. But shooting the messenger doesn't get us very far and seeing as
those messengers have been lying to us for the last 18 months, there's
not much point expecting it to change now. No regrets or even thanks
were expressed by those messengers yesterday, apparently –
perhaps that's what has hurt the majority of the soon-to-be-unemployed
most?
"Project Galaxy" they're calling it ! I think the star-struck have gone just a bit too far on this one.
As the company's chairman & CEO announced:
"In order to complete the merger process between Yamanouchi and
Fujisawa, Astellas is proposing the consolidation of its European
R&D operation to a single site in Leiderdorp, the
Netherlands……..
All these changes are proposed in order to support Astellas in pursuing
the goal of contributing towards improving the health of people around
the world through the provision of innovative and reliable
pharmaceutical products. I know that Astellas has a bright future in
Europe, and I'm sure you will all make an effort to help the company
through the implementation of these proposals."
Yes certainly, we'll all just bugger off!