Siemens cuts 16,750 jobs amid downturn

FRANKFURT, GERMANY - German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG plans to cut around 4 percent of its workforce as part of an overhaul and as a result of the global economic downturn, Siemens said.

Siemens wants to cut 16,750 jobs globally, of which 12,600 are mainly in administration, to help Europe's biggest engineering group reach a savings target of 1.2 billion euros ($1.9 billion) by 2010 and boost profit margin levels, Siemens said.

Another 4,150 jobs will be eliminated through the company's restructuring program.

Chief Executive Peter Loescher, who has extensively restructured Siemens since taking charge a year ago, said Siemens needed to become faster and more efficient to catch up with the competition.

"This takes on special urgency when one considers the economic downturn," he added.

Negotiations with labor representatives about the planned job reductions will begin quickly, Loescher said.

Siemens has said it wants to cut selling, general and administrative costs by 1.2 billion euros or about ten percent within two years, partly through reducing the amount of legal entities that make up the conglomerate, which employs about 400,000 people.

The rationalization comes as Siemens struggles to put an end to a worldwide investigation into a corruption and bribery scandal and as it hopes to regain investor confidence after a profit warning in March that sent its shares tumbling.

Shares in Siemens were down 1.5 percent at 69.77 euros by 1151 GMT, up from a low on the day of 68.53 and compared with a 1.9 percent fall in Germany's blue-chip DAX index.

Siemens shares have fallen almost 35 percent so far this year. By comparison, U.S. rival General Electric has lost 27.4 percent and Dutch competitor Philips has lost 28.8 percent, according to Reuters data.

Siemens trades at around 7.2 times estimated 2008 earnings while GE and Philips are valued at around 12 and 14 times respectively.

Loescher has promised to slim down the lumbering giant, which makes everything from light bulbs and high-speed trains to medical equipment and turbines, so it can catch up with more profitable rivals and improve its technology.

So far, he has regrouped the company's units into three main divisions aligned with global growth trends: infrastructure and industry, energy, and medical technology.

He has also scaled down the management board to eight from 11 posts.

Loescher said Siemens will cut 6,350 jobs at its industry unit, 3,950 at its energy division, and 2,800 at the healthcare unit.

Related News

Connecticut nuclear plant

Nuclear plant workers cite lack of precautions around virus

HARTFORD - Workers at Connecticut's only nuclear power plant worry that managers are not taking enough precautions against the coronavirus after 750 temporary employees were brought in to help refuel one of the two active reactors.

Ten employees at the Millstone Power Station in Waterford have tested positive for the virus, and the arrival of the temporary workers alarms some of the permanent employees, The Day newspaper reported Sunday.

"Speaking specifically for the guard force, there's a lot of frustration, there's a lot of concern, and I would say there's anger," said Millstone security officer Jim Foley.

Foley, vice president of the local…

READ MORE

IEA warns fall in global energy investment may lead to shortages

READ MORE

solar power solution

Norway Considers Curbing Electricity Exports to Avoid Shortages

READ MORE

Ontario energy minister asks for early report exploring a halt to natural gas power generation

READ MORE

map of europe

Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Really Needs Energy

READ MORE