Pharma company GSK scraps references to diversity: Unia and trade union critically
© Reuters
The British pharmaceutical company GlaxosmithKline (GSK), an important employer in Wallonia, has removed the words « diversity » and « equality » from his business communication, in accordance with the US president’s requirement to put an end to diversity policy. Unia and the ACV trade union criticize this, reports the French -speaking newspaper 7Dimanche.
The Belgian GSK factories, where 9,000 people work, deliver their vaccines mainly to the Americans. The company has branches in Waver, Rixensart and Veldenaken.
GSK had taken a deed of the American decree on the scrapping of diversity programs, but the multinational also appears to have made some adjustments not to abrupt the American customer. Only « inclusion » has remained on the company website.
« What happens at GSK is serious and regrettable. It really means a step back, » says Patrick Charlier, director of Equal Opportunities Center Unia. Unia is not possible, he says. « In Belgium it is not mandatory to pursue a diversity policy, we can only encourage it. » Only if GSK would discriminate can Unia take action. « But that is not the case here. »
The Christian trade union is also worried. « The multinational chooses business for values, » says secretary Aurore Joly. The trade union requires that Belgian political action takes.
