Staff from Japan Tobacco International (JTI) recently protested against proposed job cuts outside the Geneva offices, SWI reported.

The protests took place after JTI’s announcement in September that 268 posts out of 1,100, based out of the Geneva headquarters, are due to be cut, although some of these positions may be relocated to East Asia or Eastern Europe. Around 80 members of JTI’s staff gathered outside the headquarters to protest against the upcoming cuts and to voice their concerns about the proposed resettlement packages. According to the report, the packages offered are sub-standard and there is a lack of clarity surrounding JTI’s future plans and any further cuts.
JTI currently employs around 45,000 people and has proposed cuts in multiple offices around the world. Around 3,720 employees will be impacted by the cuts globally, with resources being concentrated in the company’s offices in Warsaw, St Petersburg and Manila. The cuts come after an 18 month analysis of JTI’s operations in an attempt to improve the company’s competitiveness.
According to the report, negotiations are still taking place between company management and employee representatives in an attempt to improve the current situation. Counter-proposals have been made by staff representatives and responses to these are to be expected soon.