Kerry Group job losses likely higher than at first feared
IT has emerged that the number of redundancies at the Kerry Group operation in Charleville is likely to be far higher than at first thought – with more than 50 administration roles at the campus set to be lost.
Last week, The Corkman reported that up to 150 roles jobs were at risk across the Group’s two Irish locations in Naas and Charleville – with local Councillor Ian Doyle saying that more than a dozen of those were at the north Cork site.
While the company has remained tight-lipped about where the jobs will be lost, The Corkman understands that the total number could be roughly split evenly between the two sites.
Cllr Doyle said that as news of the Group’s restructuring plan – which involves relocating part of its shared services division, including finances, human resources and regulatory roles to locations in Mexico and Malaysia – was breaking last Wednesday, he was only just becoming aware of the seriousness of the potential job losses in Charleville.
“By October of this year, up to 50 jobs based at the ‘ Redbrick’ office complex on the Kilmallock Road will be affected, followed by further job losses in this division over the following months,” said Cllr Doyle.
“This is terrible news, not only for the many people directly affected but also for the town of Charleville,” said Cllr Doyle.
“Retail trade is and always has been dependent on the outstanding success and growth of the dairy industry in our town. Hopefully successful negotiations will be to the benefit of all.”
Meanwhile, Cork East Labour TD Seán Sherlock has called on Kerry Group to rethink their strategy of outsourcing jobs to Mexico and Malaysia saying the prospect of losing so many local jobs was “very concerning”.
“We are calling on the Kerry Group to reverse this decision to ensure that we keep these jobs local. Given the support the dairy industry and the food ingredients industry has received from the State, there is a moral obligation to try and preserve as many jobs within the State as possible,” said Deputy Sherlock.
He said the loss of so many jobs would be a “hammer blow” to Charleville and the wider north Cork region and would send a signal to other players within the food industry that now was the time to outsource to other parts of the globe.
“If it happens in Charleville, it will happen in other areas. It’s a worrying trend. I’m calling on Kerry Group to put the brakes on this. I know that the trade unions involved will do everything they can to defend against this rationalisation process,” said Deputy Sherlock.
He also called on shareholders to speak up against outsourcing to Mexico and Malaysia.