Pfizer sheds 180 jobs

Some 180 jobs are to be lost at leading pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, it was announced today.

The company said it was forced to make the cuts at its flagship Little Island plant in Co Cork after it failed to secure a buyer for the facility.

Management have spent the last 18 months trying to sell the plant as a going concern.

Paul Duffy, Pfizer’s vice president of manufacturing for Ireland, said all possible avenues and opportunities to find a buyer had been exhausted.

“We were initially optimistic that we would find a buyer because there was considerable interest,” he said.

“Unfortunately, that interest has not translated into a sale.”

Pfizer bosses also spent the last 18 months attempting to sell a second plant in the Cork area and, if a buyer is not found, a further 250 jobs may also be at risk.

Local Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen called on the government to assist the company in trying to find a buyer for the plant at Ringaskiddy.

“There is still considerable uncertainty over the future of jobs at Pfizer’s plant at Ringaskiddy,” he said.

“The Government must do everything in its power to find a buyer for this plant and prevent further job losses in the area.”

The company announced in February 2007 it would be phasing out manufacturing at the Little Island plant as part of a restructuring process.

It said at the time it was necessary to reduce capacity after plans to make an experimental cholesterol drug Torcetrapib were shelved.

The redundancies are expected to begin later this year with the plant due to be shut by the end of 2009.

The company said it will start consultation on redundancy payments with employees as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Siptu union has said it plans to seek urgent talks with the Labour Relations Commission to discuss the job losses.

“We will now turn our attention towards an early scheduled Labour Relations Commission hearing to assess the full effects of this shock announcement by Pfizer,” said Siptu Sectoral Organiser Alan O’Leary.

“We also remain concerned at this point regarding the sale process of Pfizer’s other plant in Loughbeg, Ringaskiddy, County Cork.”

Local TD Mr Allen said the job losses were a hammer blow to Cork city and county.

“Cork is suffering particularly badly in this recession,” he said.

“The Cork city dole office had the single biggest increase in the live register in the entire country in the last 12 months, when the live register increased by 2,566.

“These job losses will have a serious impact on the local economy.”

Pfizer employs almost 2,200 people in eight locations in Ireland.

It is the world’s largest research-based biomedical and pharmaceutical company and one of Ireland’s largest multinationals.