Jacob’s closes doors on 220 jobs

WORKERS at a Dublin biscuit factory were hit with the bad news yesterday of 220 job losses.

Management said the Jacob’s site was extremely uncompetitive and blamed outdated equipment for shutting its doors.

Labour party TD Pat Rabbitte said: “This is the closure of one of the last manufacturing companies in the area that has a history of almost 100 years.”

But Jacob’s said last night production of its most popular biscuits would continue, including brands like Fig Rolls, Kimberley, and Mikado. The company expect to keep up to 120 people employed at various sites around Ireland. Jacob’s Fruitfield Food Group chairman Michael Carey yesterday blamed the job losses on a lack of competitiveness at the factory.

“It was built in the 1970s and has been operating for many years at just 16% of its full capacity. Given the continued escalation of costs in recent years and the intensity of competition, we simply cannot continue to absorb the losses generated by this facility,” he argued.

A redundancy package of €10 million has been set aside for workers and the closure of the Tallaght factory, which also include funds for retraining people.

Redundancies are to begin from September.

There are plans to continue biscuit manufacturing in Cork where the factory capacity is set to increase, Jacob’s added last night.

Manufacturing of sauces and jams are set to continue at the Jacob’s factory at Drogheda while wafers will still be made at its premises in Gweedore, Donegal.

“The government should immediately focus on facilitating the retraining of the workforce and the sourcing of new employment for a huge conurbation that already has a disproportionately high unemployment level,” added Mr Rabbitte.

Sinn Féin TD Sean Crowe argued sales of Jacob’s lands at Whitestown Industrial Estate should have been reinvested to update equipment.