Workers believe plant has a future
CALLS have been made for the intervention of Minister Batt O’Keeffe and Shannon Development to intervene to save jobs at Elsevier.
Last month the company, based in Shannon Free Zone, announced that 100 redundancies would be made over the next 18 months, leaving just eight employees at the Clare plant.
Fine Gael Spokesman on Enterprise and Employment, Limerick East TD Kieran O’Donnell, has called for direct intervention to prevent the job losses.
“These are high value jobs in a highly profitable company which has been supported by the State and has operated successfully in Shannon since 1976,” said deputy O’Donnell.
“The decision to cut the jobs makes no sense, and the lack of action by the government makes even less sense”.
The deputy added he had spoken with Elsevier workers who believe that the facility has a future and that a plan can be developed to secure jobs.
“The workforce is mainly comprised of graduates in highly skilled positions.
“In these circumstances, it is vital that Minister O’Keeffe and Shannon Development CEO Vincent Cunnane, immediately meet with Erik Engstrom, CEO of Reed
Elsevier, the parent company of Elsevier Shannon.
“I have contacted my European Parliament colleagues Jim Higgins, MEP and Sean Kelly MEP, to meet with workers representatives in Brussels.
“Up to 50% of the workers in the facility live in Limerick. Hand wringing is not good enough, the people involved need to be supported. This means immediate action while the opportunity is still there”.
