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.

Miza Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian-based firm, and a British company, Goldshield, bought Antigen last year for 35.3m under a survival plan. Miza, however, failed to make its promised investment of €7.6m in the plant.

SIPTU branch secretary Tony Lowe said the plant was founded 50 years ago and had many long-serving employees some of whom had worked there for 48 years.

"It is just so devastating for the workers. Some burst into tears when they heard about the High Court order. It's nearly Christmas so the timing couldn't be worse with no money coming in."

It is understood a skeleton staff will be retained to ensure the premises remains sterile while it is being wound up.

The plant is based in the constituency of Defence Minister Michael Smith.

He said he was extremely disappointed to learn about yesterday's development: "That this once vibrant industry should come to its knees in this way just before Christmas brings an added trauma and difficulty for the workers concerned." Mr Smith said he wanted the liquidator to ensure funds were set aside to ensure workers received satisfactory redundancy payments.

Father and son Patsy and Darren Treacy are among the workers who are facing a very bleak Christmas.

Both men, like many others at the factory, were deeply "disappointed" and "saddened" with the loss of their jobs and the liquidation of their life-long employer. Patsy Treacy, aged 54, has spent 36 years working at the company. Returning home to Donaghmore outside Roscrea, knowing he will have little money over Christmas, he said: "It doesn't matter what the Government say, we are out of work now. Because of my age I have not much hope of getting work after this. We are sad, and we are living in a sad world".

Patsy's son Darren, who left school at 16 to take up employment at Miza 11 years ago, is faced with trying to provide for two young children on the run-up to Christmas. Despite the loss of his job, Darren said optimistically: "I am young, I have youth on my side but it is harder for people like my father. There are a lot of people like him in the factory."

Another worker Sean O'Sullivan said he was "devastated" by the announcement.

"This town is really in a lot of trouble. There are no other jobs here."