Johannesburg, 28 Aug 2008
As part of a global exercise, Siemens SA is restructuring its business operations.
The electronics and engineering company has decided to streamline its previous 11 business units into three broad sectors: industry, energy and healthcare. Siemens IT solutions and services will continue to operate as a division for all three sectors.
However, upon announcing the new structure, the company could not say whether any jobs would be lost in SA. Siemens AG has said it will cut 16 750 jobs out of its total workforce of about 400 000 internationally.
While a third of the jobs will be lost in Siemens' home country of Germany, the rest are to be terminated overseas.
Siemens SA spokesman Greg Gibbons says the issue of job cuts is still under discussion at a global level and SA is, therefore, not at liberty to comment on the matter as yet.
Siemens SA employs about 2 500 people.
According to Gibbons, the South African restructuring is aimed at ensuring greater efficiency, such as preventing crossed lines of communication with customers.
This is echoed by Sigi Proebstl, CEO of Siemens SA, who says: "We are confident this optimised structure will not only make Siemens less complex and easier to understand, it will also help us better meet customer requirements and the challenges of the global marketplace."
Proebstl says all Siemens' targets and projections will remain unchanged.
"Siemens' past success in SA was exceptional, and we see no reason why this should not continue. We are completely positive about the outlook for SA and the Southern African region as a whole. We are proud to have a centuries old history here and we look forward to a long and prosperous future too."
Siemens has had a presence in SA since 1860, when the company installed the first telegraph line linking Cape Town and Simons Town.
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