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General Electric. Wave of layoffs in Israel

GE shuts down Herzliya R&D center

American corporation's healthcare division to fire 50 workers employed in center. Some 25 employees from company's respiratory care unit dismissed in recent days

General Electric's medical imaging and health division, GE Healthcare, is continuing its wave of layoffs in Israel. Employees at the division's research and development center in Herzliya were informed this week that it would be shut down, causing 50 workers to lose their jobs.

 

Following the current dismissals, the number of employees fired since December will total more than 80 out of some 460 workers in Israel.

 

GE's R&D center in Herzilya develops medical information systems and is called HCIT. It was founded in the RealTimeImage company, was acquired by American medical equipment systems giant IDX for $15 million in 2005, and was integrated into GE when the latter purchased IDX a year later.

 

The Herzilya center is responsible for the development of a cardiac simulator, as well as for streaming technology which enables fast and safe access from any remote place to clinical images shot in the hospital.

 

GE posted impressive quarterly results in January, but that did not get in the way of its plan to implement cutbacks in its different sites in Israel.

Some 25 employees were dismissed in recent days from the company's respiratory care unit in the local council of Kadima, which is based on the VersaMed startup that was acquired in 2008 for $42 million and employs dozens of workers.

 

Another 10 engineers were fired from the company's imaging unit in the northern city of Tirat Hacarmel in late 2012.

 

General Electric refused to comment on the layoffs at the Herzliya R&D center. The only response provided by the company relates to the cutbacks which have already taken place.

 

"Twenty-five workers were recently fired from the company site in Kadima, 5% of GE Healthcare's workforce in Israel. In addition, 10 employees were fired from the company site in Tirat Hacarmel," GE said in a statement.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.07.13, 14:24
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