Novartis jobs deal: Swiss corporate leverage, people power or prior laziness?
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
The power wielded by Novartis in its home country of Switzerland was apparently made clear this week when the company managed to secure a tailor-made tax deal in exchange for not cutting 330 jobs at one of its local plants. However – and with the deal shrouded in secrecy it is difficult to be sure – it may say less about Novartis's indisputable importance to the Swiss economy and employment, and more about the multinational's lack of attention to detail last year. On the other hand, it may more straightforwardly show what can be achieved when a company opens a pro-active dialogue with staff and other stakeholders.