Workers at the Sanofi-Aventis factory in Waterford were called to a meeting at noon yesterday to be told that the company would close by the end of the year.
Speaking afterwards, Anthony O'Neill (27) a production trainee who joined the company six months ago, said, "we first heard rumours back in November that the plant was not safe". Mr O'Neill who is getting married in two weeks' time in Cahir, said that his fiancée Nuala O'Donnell had been made redundant by NTL in Waterford before Christmas "so now we're both out of jobs and we have a mortgage". However, they still plan to go to Mauritius on honeymoon and "will start looking for new jobs when we come back".
Brendan Quinn (24), who joined the company 18 months ago as a production coordinator said: "I don't have a mortgage, thank God" and expressed disappointment at the news as "it is a grand place to work". Kevin O'Donoghue (36), a packaging coordinator who has worked at the factory for four years and has a wife and three children said: "It's looking bleak: these won't be the last jobs that are going due to global markets".
Terry Bryan, a branch organiser with Siptu in Waterford, said: "We thought there was a level of job security in the pharmaceutical industry".
The decision to close the plant follows a review of global operations which will also see plant closures and disposals in Slovakia, Portugal, Spain and Italy. The company blamed declining sales across Europe, excess manufacturing capacity, increased competition from generic products and "pressure from health authorities in a number of countries to reduce the prices paid for drugs".
Production in Waterford of capsules to treat liver disease and gels and ointments to treat microbial conditions, will be transferred to plants in France and Germany.
However, Michael McGrath, general manager, said Sanofi-Aventis "remains committed to Ireland" and plans to retain its commercial operations division which employs 140 people at Citywest in Dublin.Mr McGrath said the decision "in no way reflects on employee performance" but was a strategic decision. He added that consultations would begin immediately and that he had informed the Government of the decision.
Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Cha O'Neill, called the announcement "a body blow to Waterford city. . . in the wake of recent job losses at Hasbro and Bausch & Lomb. Waterford now needs special attention to ensure that we do not suffer any further erosion of the manufacturing base".
Sanofi-Aventis is the third-largest pharmaceutical company in the world, with sales last year of €28 billion.
