240 jobs to go in Limerick, Kilkenny and Galway

Over 200 jobs are to be lost in parts of Limerick, Kilkenny and Galway, it was announced today.

Thermo King, a firm which designs and manufactures transport refrigeration equipment, said this afternoon it is to cut 110 jobs at its plant in Mervue, Co Galway. The company employs more than 600 people at the facility.

The firm said the jobs were being cut as part of an international restructuring programme which has been introduced due to the slowdown in the global economy.

Thermo King said the job losses will be managed through a combination of a number of initiatives including suspension of contracts, voluntary severance options, as well as the non-renewal of temporary contracts and
contractor agreements.

"We regret the necessity to propose the planned measures, but we are convinced that these measures are essential to position the company for the future," said Ray Pittard, president of Climate Control Technologies ESA, the owner of Thermo King.

Meanwhile, Kilkenny manufacturing plant NN Euroball plant said this morning it is due stop production from next February with the loss of 70 jobs.

The plant manufactures precision steel balls used in engineering. A small number of staff will continue working until June 2009. The plant opened in 1997.

The company said the decision was due to a rationalisation of the company's European production operations.
NN Euroball placed the workforce on protective notice in May and let go about 20 temporary employees.

Elsewhere, Filtertek, a filter and fluid control component manufacturer, confirmed it is to lay off 59 employees at its plant in Newcastle West, Co Limerick.

The company blamed recent economic factors for the decision to reduce its workforce and said it had entered into a 30-day consultation period with affected employees.

The Labour Party accused the Government of failing to act to protect Irish jobs in the current economic climate.

Enterprise spokesman Willie Penrose said a plan of action was needed that would enable companies to ride out the current storm.