Bitter pill for pharma staff
Up to 440 laid off as firm to close Irish plant Tanaiste slams ‘ blow’ to workers before Xmas
UP to 440 employees at a pharma company have been handed redundancy packages for Christmas after finding out their plant will close.
US giant Viatris will shut down its manufacturing plant i n Baldoyle, North Dublin, which makes generic medicines, over the next two years.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has said the news is devastating for the Viatris staff and their families.
He added: “This is really devastating news for those working in Viatris and their families. It has been an exceptionally difficult year for everyone.
“This will come as another blow, especially so close to Christmas.”
Viatris has five sites in Ireland, but the other four sites, which employ 1,400 people, will not be affected by the decision to close the Baldoyle plant.
The firm said there would be no i mmediate action t aken and t he majority of its workforce there will remain employed until late 2022.
Labour’s enterprise spokesperson Aodhan O Riordain called on the IDA and the Government to examine if the facility in Baldoyle can potentially be of f ered t o oth er pharmaceutical companies.
He also asked they ensure workers get all the support they need as the positions are made redundant.
THREATS
Mr O Riordain said: “While the job losses will be phased over two years, with the economic threats of Brexit and the pandemic already leading to higher unemployment, this is a real blow for the area, and I am concerned about how difficult this will be for the local community to absorb.”
Viatris said it will be offering employees comprehensive s e p a r a t i o n p a c k a g e s , i n c l u d i n g p a y a n d healthcare continuation, career counselling, and continued coverage under the Employee Assistance Programme.
In a statement, the f irm s a i d: “Today ’s d e c i si on i n n o w a y r e f l e c t s u p o n t h e c ompany ’s g e nui n e a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r t h e commitment and work ethic of the people.
“Viatris is grateful for the dedication exhibited at this site and its remaining workforce i n Ire l and wi l l continue to play an important role in the company’s future.”
The Baldoyle closure is the result of a global restructuring initiative by the Pittsburgh- based firm.