A US-owned medical devices firm employing hundreds of people in Athlone, Co Westmeath, is to transfer the manufacturing line for one of its products to Thailand.

Over 600 workers at the Covidien plant in Westmeath were given the news on Wednesday that manufacture of one of the firm’s endotracheal tube manufacturing processes would be moved over a two-year period.

Endotracheal tubes are devices used to keep airways free in medical procedures. The company manufactures many different airways products in Athlone and a spokeswoman said this would continue.

The company said it would be meeting with unions yesterday to begin discussions on voluntary redundancies with as many as 100 job losses feared.