Poland expected to escape lightly in ABB redundancies

Polish subsidiaries of engineering giant ABB are likely to emerge unscathed from the company's sweeping cuts to its workforce worldwide. ABB yesterday announced plans for an 8% reduction in its staff. The cutting of 12,000 jobs is a response to a dramatic fall in first half profits, from over $1 billion in the first six months of 2000, to just $266 million. ABB's 14 Polish subsidiaries employ 3,200 people. In an interview with Rzeczpospolita, Miroslaw Gryszka, president of ABB Poland, said that there would be no reduction in employment in Poland. However, human resources director Hanna Dabrowska was less optimistic. Talking to Gazeta Wyborcza she said there might be staff reductions in Poland, linked to "possible transformation of the company in global scale, sales of some of its assets, or excluding them from its core activities." Under a plan announced in February, ABB Poland will withdraw from its sideline interests for the good of its strategic activities. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 17; Rzeczpospolita, p. B3) P.W.