Glanbia to cut 50 jobs in Dublin

Glanbia Consumer Foods said today it is to cut 50 jobs following the completion of a strategic review of its operations.

The majority of the jobs will go at the company's head office in City West in Dublin.

Glanbia Consumer Foods chief executive Colin Gordon said the "unavoidable" job cuts were necessary to "maximise the competitiveness of the business in light of current market conditions".

He said the cuts will "create a simplified, more agile and lower cost structure that will underpin future growth and competitiveness". He said the field sales team would be restructured.

Mr Gordon said management would consult with unions to agree redundancy terms. It is understood the company will intiailly try to cut the jobs on a voluntary basis.

Glanbia, which comprises an Irish consumer foods operation and an international cheese manufacturing and nutritional ingredients group, warned earlier this month that lower world demand for dairy products due to the global economic crisis would result in "difficult trading conditions" in 2009.

Glanbia's brands include Avonmore, Yoplait, Kilmeaden and Premier Dairies.