Yves Rocher jobs talks to take place in next fortninght

Talks about the production areas affected in proposed redundancies at cosmetics manufacturer Yves Rocher will take place between Siptu representatives and company management in the next fortnight.

The Kilbarry, Cork city production plant will cut its workforce of just over 100 by 50 per cent, following an announcement last Friday.

The majority of those affected will be women, many of whom are involved in packaging.

After initial meetings with the company last week, Siptu organiser Paul Depuis said on Monday night the talks would look at the selection process for redundancy as the union aims to save as many jobs as possible.

They will also discuss securing the company’s future in Cork where production is expected to focus on high value skincare products.

Currently the plant is the main producer for strategic Yves Rocher brands such as Riche Creme Pure Calmille, Arnica and Serum Vegetale.

The company is to move two production lines to a French plant in Rheux, Brittany which is currently operating under capacity. It also cited the cost of shipping products from Ireland as another reason for its decision to scale back operations at the plant, he said.

Packaging at the plant is a labour intensive operation affecting mainly women, and a number of ancillary services will also be affected.

Mr Depuis said the job cuts announcement came as a “huge shock” because a major restructuring process which cut staff numbers from 170, began in 2014 and had only been completed last year when two other production lines were transferred to Brittany.

No further job losses had been anticipated in the plant on the city’s northside.

Mr Depuis said Siptu representatives met the company to explore whether measures could be implemented to preserve as many of the jobs as possible. “Further meetings are to be held in the coming weeks with the company in order to discuss these possible measures and others aimed at ensuring the viability of the plant into the future.”

Yves Rocher commenced operations in Cork in 1981 and established its Dublin Hill facility in 1984.

At the last major investment in the plant in 2010, Jacques Rocher, the then president of the Yves Rocher Foundation, said the Cork facility has been a key element of the Yves Rocher network since its establishment.