160 jobs to go at Dublin printing firm

TERENURE PRINTERS of Dublin is to close with the loss of more than 160 jobs.

Part of Independent News & Media it prints the Sunday World, the Sunday Tribune and the Irish Daily Star

The decision to close was taken at an emergency board meeting on Wednesday.

It followed the loss of significant printing contracts for a number of publications including the Irish Farmers Journal, Express newspapers and Buy and Sell.

The Irish Times is now printing the Irish Farmers Journal at its City West plant.

Buy & Sell contract is understood to have gone to the Rupert Murdoch/Jefferson Smurfit printing operation in Kells.

Meanwhile, more than 160 construction workers - including 75 from Poland - are to lose their jobs following the collapse of a Co Galway-based building firm.

The company, Bilcon Construction, which has its headquarters in Portumna, informed its employees yesterday morning that it was being placed in liquidation.

A spokeswoman for the Polish workers said they were shocked by what had happened and were worried about their future. They now had no money and it was unclear how long they could stay in the accommodation the company had provided for them, she said.

Workers at Terenure Printers are not facing the same uncertainty as the Bilcon employees.

A comprehensive redundancy package of €10 million is being made available to staff, equivalent to €62,500 each.

Workers could be eligible for six week's pay per year of service. Redundancy packages will range from a minimum of one year's gross pay, regardless of service and up to €230,000 for longer serving members of staff.

IN&M's spokesman said the future printing needs of its own titles currently contracted to Terenure will be decided in the coming weeks. "There is no shortage of print capacity and it is not a major issue", he said.

Express Newspapers is a 50/50 joint owner of The Star newspapers with IN&M.

That joint venture is not under threat as a result of the Express decision to pull its contract with the Dublin printers, a spokesman for IN&M said.

Printing costs at Terenure were described as excessive and it is understood IN&M was concerned at the cost levels in Terenure.

Average salaries in the group were close to €60,000.

Michael Brophy, Terenure Printers' managing director, said the closure was a difficult decision, but unavoidable in the context of contract losses and costs involved.

"Competition from modern print plants that operate with a fraction of the Terenure staffing level has rendered the plant unviable", he said.

"Despite our best efforts we were unable to recover these key print contracts for Terenure and over recent days our focus has shifted to securing a generous and fair package for our employees," he said.