The numbers coming out of France are in dispute. The drugmaker insists that 700 jobs will be lost trhough layoffs or voluntary departures from its Paris headquarters and among its sales force. But unions at Pfizer’s French subsidiary say the drugmaker will, in reality, reduce its workforce by 892 jobs, from 1,771 employees to 879.

Gerard Bouquet, a Pfizer France vp, tells the Agence France Presse, insists that 700 people would leave the company. “This new organization will take effect from December 1, 2009,” he says, adding that “there will be no forced layoffs before” that date. But CFDT union delegate Thierry Lannes argues 892 jobs would be lost. “It is much higher than what we thought,” he tells AFP.

Meanwhile, Pfizer has announced the sale of a plant in Ireland that makes active pharmaceutical ingredients Hovione, a Portuguese drugmaker, and up to 150 jobs will be lost, according to FinFacts. The deal will be completed by early April and only 70 to 80 of the 232 employees will transfer to the new owners.