Bleak Christmas for Miza plant workers

THE 250 workers at the Miza pharmaceutical plant in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, were facing a bleak Christmas yesterday after the High Court ordered the company to be wound up.

The Miza Ireland group of companies, formerly the Antigen plant, is one of the third largest employers in Roscrea, contributing about €10m to the town's economy.

An examiner was appointed to the debt-stricken plant in May 2001 to protect it from creditors and to try and find a new investor. Yesterday the High Court was told it was impossible to save the enterprise.