by Andrew Carey
AS families come to terms with the expected loss of 169 jobs at a costume jewellery manufacturing plant in Rathkeale, some hopeful news emerged as a US pharmaceutical giant indicated its intention to bring up to 300 jobs to the region.
The job losses follow last week’s announcement that Andersen Ireland is about to be placed in voluntary liquidation. Workers at the Limerick plant are said to be “disgusted” with the redundancy terms offered by the Austrian-owned company.
Despite the workforce already on a reduced working week for the last 12 months, the announcement still came as a bitter blow to the west Limerick community.
This Tuesday, officials and representatives from SIPTU meet with the management at Anderson in an effort to save the jobs and the plant.
Owners PL Holdings, said that “due to continued losses” the firm would be put into voluntary liquidation and a KPMG liquidator would be in place later this month.
However, just two days later there was better news on the employment front in Limerick when a US multinational confirmed that it was planning to bring up to 300 jobs to the region with the prospect of further job gains in local supply and service providers.
Limerick’s former DELL manufacturing facility at Raheen is in line for a $200 million euro investment after US multinational Regeneron Pharmaceuticals indicated its intent to operate in the region.
It emerged this week that the US firm lodged its intent with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at its headquarters in Washington.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, with locations in New York and New Jersey, manufacture medicines for serious illnesses such as cancer, asthma and eye disease.
However, Finance Minister Michael Noonan was being tight-lipped about the development by the US company.
“That is a matter for the IDA. A lot of what goes on is commercially sensitive and you can lose jobs if publicity is too early”, he said.
