The global economic slowdown was blamed yesterday for the loss of more than 300 jobs in the south and west.

Honeywell, one of the largest employers in the south-east, will let up to 140 people go over the coming months.

A further 125 temporary workers at the SCI computer manufacturing plant in Fermoy, Co Cork, were laid off yesterday and, in Galway, 40 jobs have been shed by electronic manufacturing services provider Applied Power.

Unions at the four Honeywell plants in Waterford, which employ 800 people, discussed the planned lay-offs with management yesterday.

The company produces precision aluminium castings for aircraft engines and castings for car engines. It had previously announced its intention to cut up to 30 jobs in the aircraft castings plant because of rising production costs and reduced demand.

However it now hopes to cut 100 jobs from its automotive castings plant as well and a further ten, bringing the total to 40, from its aircraft castings plant.

The job cuts in the automotive castings plant are due to a general slowdown in car production but also a reorganisation within Honeywell aimed at improving efficiency.

Announcing the loss of temporary jobs at SCI, management said the immediate future of 650 permanent employees is not in danger but added there were no long-term guarantees because of the uncertain economic climate.

The company employed 1,200 people at its peak and, as recently as last year, had 1,000 employees. Human resources manager Ms Cass Fitzpatrick said the nature of SCI's business demanded a flexible approach to employment and the company had always used a pool of over 120 temporary employees who were hired and let go again in line with the order books.

"The temporary employees are taken on as required and they know that the jobs will only last for as long as the work does.

There is nothing unusual in this move and hopefully, we will be in a position to re-hire our temporary employees early in the New Year," she said.

SCI, which has been in Fermoy since 1989, manufactures electronic components for the computer industry but also for the telecommunications, medical and automotive sectors.

It is the largest single employer in Fermoy and is regarded as one of the linchpins of the town's economy.

Applied Power, which employs 500 at three factories in Dublin, Galway and Cork, said it was cutting jobs due to a reduction in demand, as the decline in the worlwide technology market continued.

The company said that an expansion programme for Galway was "nearing 50 per cent completion", and would not be affected by the current down-turn in business.

Also yesterday, the Tallow, Co Waterford-based cigar manufacturers, Cadena, announced the closure of its plant by next Christmas with the loss of 60 jobs.

Cadena, which made cigars chiefly for the Dutch market, was acquired by Imperial Tobacco in 1996 , but the company has now said the Tallow operation is no longer viable.