A wireless technology company has announced it is to make 55 staff redundant less than six months after Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan had announced the company was going to recruit 145 extra staff.
Option Wireless, which is based at the Kilbarry Industrial Estate on Cork's northside announced yesterday that it is to seek 55 redundancies from its 270 strong workforce with the redundancies expected to take effect from mid-June following discussions with staff.
The company, which is headquartered in Belgium and has facilities in Germany as well as offices in Asia, established its base in Cork in 1998 and manufactures technology devices such as USB modems that provide high quality wireless access to the Internet.
The Cork operation is the company's primary customisation site and is responsible for adding value to the basic product by customising it with firmware and software in a highly flexible manufacturing process to meet customers' specific needs and requirements.
Vice president for global operations David Whelan said the company had taken the decision to seek redundancies at the Cork plan with regret and said the company plans to offer support to staff affected.
""The decision has been taken against the backdrop of reducing demand for discretionary products in the global economy and in no way reflects on the professionalism and dedication of the staff here in Kilbarry," said Mr Whelan.
Just last December, the Tánaiste announced that Option Wireless, in addition to its manufacturing and services operation in Cork, was to add 145 new high quality production jobs over the next three years
The investment by Option Wireless which was supported by IDA Ireland, would have seen the company undertake process-development activities and would have established the Cork facility as the company's main centre for the global supply chain.