Why is pfizer closing

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Hundreds of Perth jobs are set to go, as pharmaceutical giant Pfizer confirmed today it plans to shut its factory in Bentley. In what a company spokesperson described as a "difficult decision", Pfizer will cease manufacturing in Perth by and leave the site in early The decision impacts approximately employees, including John who rang Geoff Hutchison on Drive.

The Perth factory manufactures oncology medicines, for cancer treatment, as well as "injectable products" primarily for use in hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. Once Bentley closes, manufacturing of some of those products will move to Melbourne and other overseas sites.

The company said the decision was unrelated to the Australian Government's "Modern Manufacturing Strategy". ABC Perth Drive did request an interview with Pfizer today, but that was declined and we received the following statement:.

Colleagues will be impacted over a phased period of the next three years, as we ensure continuity of supply. All Perth colleagues are encouraged, and will have the opportunity, to apply for any internal vacancies for which they are suitably qualified. Some roles will transition through redeployment based on manufacturing and business requirements. The Treasury gave a cautious welcome to manufacturing's strong growth, which it said must be maintained "if we are to rebalance the economy towards trade and investment, in orer to have sustainable growth".

But Labour said the Pfizer decision revealed the government lacked a strategy to support businesses. It will also prove embarrassing for prime minister David Cameron , who said in a speech last month that he personally telephoned the head of Pfizer to advertise the government's new low tax on patents. Shadow business spokesman John Denham said: "This is a deeply worrying development.

Pharmaceuticals must be a sector where Britain's world reputation secures jobs and growth for the future. We cannot afford to lose global industries as easily as this. Cameron named the pharmaceutical industry in his speech as a cornerstone of the government's growth strategy along with tourism, green energy, advanced manufacturing and aerospace. Pfizer revealed the closure in its US results filings.

It will leave the site over the next 18 months to two years, it said. The majority of staff will be made redundant, but "several hundred" may be transferred to other Pfizer sites or to external partners. The company retains a headquarters in Walton Oaks, Surrey and a small site in Cambridge. It is a purpose-built research and development facility with impressive buildings, superb surrounding infrastructure and close proximity to Europe," she said.