Iomega, a US manufacturer of disk drives for the computer industry with two separate operations in Dublin, is shedding 38 per cent of its global workforce due to falling sales.
The company, which supplies equipment to Gateway Ireland's doomed manufacturing plant in Clonshaugh, Dublin, will shed 1,200 jobs this quarter, leaving just 2,025 staff worldwide.
An Iomega spokeswoman refused to reveal how many employees worked at its two Dublin facilities, located in Citywest and Swords, and what impact the announcement would have.
Job losses at Iomega's Swords facility would be a further blow to the community in north Co Dublin, which heard this week that Gateway was shutting with 900 job losses.
It is understood Iomega has already dramatically downsized its technical support facilities in the Citywest business park over the past year. The company was at one time the largest tenant, employing some 170 people. But sources said last night it may now employ just 20 people, following earlier job cuts.
Iomega opened its European customer support centre in Swords in 1995, providing technical support to 16 European countries and South Africa.
Iomega global restructuring was detailed late on Thursday, when the US-based firm said it expected to record restructuring charges in the range of $55 million (&€8364;61.6 million) to $65 million in the third quarter.
"`Our goal in the short term is to significantly lower the break-even point of this business, stop the revenue decline and improve operational efficiencies," said Mr Werner Heid, president and chief executive of Iomega.
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