80 staff face redundancies in cash and carry operation

CORK company Musgrave Wholesale Partners has confirmed it is to make 80 staff on both sides of the border redundant as part of a reshaping of its cash and carry business.

There will be 55 jobs lost in depots in the Republic over the next six months and 25 jobs will go over a four-month period from its operation in Belfast.

Of the redundancies south of the border the majority are in the Munster region, with 15 jobs being lost in Cork and 14 in Killarney. The remaining 26 are at depots in Dublin, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Donegal.

“The focus going forward will be on delivering supply chain efficiencies, improved service and value to customers,” Musgrave said in a statement. “A period of consultation will now commence with the trade unions and affected employees.”

The company’s managing director Martin Kelleher said the restructuring of the business reflected the fundamental changes in the market which has seen the hospitality sector fall by 15%-20% and the retail market by 7% in 2009.

“We have made every effort to minimise job losses,” he said. “Reshaping our business will bring lower prices for consumers and an enhanced service for our customers across the island of Ireland which will position the business for long-term future growth.”

Musgrave Wholesale Partners employs 1,144 people across 13 depots in the Republic and the north.

Meanwhile, on a more positive note, mobile phone network provider 3 Mobile had announced that it is to create 90 jobs over the next three years through the opening of 28 new stores in a €5m investment.

The company already employs 250 people in its 22 stores.

The 28 new retail outlets will consist of eight 3 stores and 20 independently owned operations.

Since the company, which is owned by Hutchison Whampoa Group, launched in the Irish mobile services market in 2005 it has seen rapid growth, 40% in 2009 alone. It now has a customer base of more than 470,000.