Mayo pharma plant seeks more than 100 redundancies

110 jobs are to go at a pharmaceutical plant at Castlebar in Co. Mayo.
Baxter Healthcare, an American company, is looking for voluntary redundancies with 110 positions to go by early next year.
Nearly 1,000 people are employed by the company across its Swinford and Castlebar operations and it has been in Ireland for more than 40 years.
According to the company, it will be reducing weekend shift work at the facility, impacting the 110 employees over the next 10 to 12 months.
The majority of these reductions will be implemented during the first quarter of 2014.
The company plans to shift certain work currently done at the facility to other Baxter facilities in Europe.
The firm says it will be assisting affected employees in through redundancy packages and other support services.
Local Fine Gael Councillor Ger Deere has told Midwest News that it is a blow for workers.
“Not good news at all coming up to Christmas for the staff…and our thoughts are with them at the moment” he said.
“Baxter are a very strong compnay, very committed to Castlebar – so let’s hope that all assistance will be given to the people that might be looking for the voluntary redundancies, and whatever assistance can be given should be given” he added.