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.