AFP - German group Beiersdorf envisages reducing its activities at some of its sites in Germany and abroad, announced the group’s boss during the general meeting of shareholders in Hamburg on Thursday 30 April, as the crisis has badly affected Tesa - its branch of adhesives.

Sample of products made by the Beiersdorf group

The current economic crisis has particularly affected sectors like the automobile industry and electronics, which Tesa is involved in. According to the transcript of the speech this was how Thomas Quass explained the matter to shareholders.

Partial unemployment measures are no longer sufficient, Mr Quass stated.

Consequently, the group is counting on “examining the strategic importance of the production site in Harrislee, some international sites as well as the logistical centres in Stuttgart and Offenburg”, he declared. “Around 400 employees will be affected by these steps across the world”, he added in clarification.

For the year as a whole the Hamburg based group expects a “difficult development in turnover” for Tesa.

Mr Quass added that Beiersdorf, known for its Nivea creams, is also planning to reduce the salaries of employees at its headquarters by reducing the number of hours worked.

Activities in the beauty field have also not been spared, even if they have been afflicted to a lesser degree; in the first quarter the group has seen a decrease in operating profit of 25%.

On the other hand, Mr Quass reassuringly claimed that the financial situation of the business was “very comfortable”.