GSK global corporate restructuring

Pharmaceutical multinational GSK has initiated a global restructuring and transformation strategy to optimize internal functions and increase efficiency.

In Costa Rica, the company communicated a corporate realignment to local employees in late September 2026. This transition is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and will unfold gradually over approximately twelve months.

In Belgium, the reorganization involves potential job losses for up to 1,217 employees, representing approximately 15% of the local workforce. These cuts specifically target the GSK Biologicals division, which handles vaccine production and research and development, across sites in Wavre, Gembloux, and Rixensart. GSK cited a structural decline in global demand for certain vaccines and a need to reallocate resources following a drop in second-quarter net profits.

Following the announcement, significant unrest has emerged. Workers and unions have organized blockades at the Wavre and Rixensart facilities to protest the restructuring, with some calling for ‘zero layoffs’. While the cuts target administrative and research roles, the company stated that manual labor staff are not currently targeted. The legal phase for information and consultation regarding these collective redundancies has officially begun. Additionally, reports indicate a tense atmosphere among management, with some executives reportedly hesitant to speak to the media due to internal directives to centralize all communications.