Hewlett-Packard to cut 133 jobs in Ireland

TECHNOLOGY GIANT Hewlett-Packard (HP) has said it expects 133 Irish staff to lose their jobs as part of a global cost-cutting exercise that will reduce its staff numbers by 24,600 worldwide.

The firm, which employs more than 4,000 people in Ireland, is looking to reduce costs following the $13.9 billion (€9.8 billion) acquisition of technology services firm EDS earlier this year.

Last month, HP chief executive Mark Hurd announced that the company would offer 7.5 per cent of its workforce, or 24,600 people, severance packages to remove duplication of roles. HP said the cost-saving measures would generate annual savings of $1.8 billion.

Last night the company released a statement saying that it expected 9,300 staff in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to depart over the next two years.

"Over the coming days, there will be meetings with both HP and EDS employee representatives to share information on the proposed integration plan for Ireland," the statement read. "HP expects that the number of positions impacted in Ireland over the two-year time frame will be 133. HP will make every effort where possible to redeploy impacted individuals."

HP's Irish staff work in six different business units. The Irish operation began reducing its property cost by moving the majority of its staff in the Dublin area to its technology campus in Leixlip, Co Kildare.

Approximately 400 EDS staff transferred to HP as part of the acquisition.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times