Minister ‘must set up taskforce over Schering’

THE Enterprise Minister must establish a taskforce in his constituency after a pharmaceutical giant yesterday announced plans to shed 160 jobs over three years.

The call came from Jim O’Keeffe, FG, after Schering-Plough, one of the country’s longest established pharmachem companies, briefed 519 staff at its headquarters in Co Cork.

Management said the job losses are part of cost reduction proposals designed to secure the future of the plant within the Merck & Co Inc global network.