GSK to close financial services centre with loss of 94 jobs

Cork suffered a jobs blow yesterday when multinational pharmaceutical giant GSK announced that is to close its shared financial…

Cork suffered a jobs blow yesterday when multinational pharmaceutical giant GSK announced that is to close its shared financial services centre on the outskirts of the city with the loss of 94 jobs.

Fianna Fáil leader and local Cork South Central TD Micheál Martin called for an immediate response from the Government that would provide a clear plan to redeploy those who had lost their jobs.

According to a company statement, staff at the GSK Trading Services Centre at the Cork Airport Business Park had actually been informed last May of restructuring plans which would see the centre closed and relocated from Cork to Britain.

No exact date had been confirmed but company management met staff yesterday and briefed them on plans to wind down the centre before the end of the year, with staff being offered the option of jobs in Britain.

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A GSK spokeswoman said it would have no impact on the company's three manufacturing sites in Cork, Sligo and Dungarvan and two commercial operations in Dublin, which employ 1,600 people.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times