Schering-Plough 170 jobs go in Cork
The company, which employs more than 900 people in Cork, made the announcement at a meeting with workers today.
Schering-Plough has been one of the most successful multi-nationals operating in Ireland for almost 20 years.
The company manufactures anti-cancer and anti-viral drugs known generically as 'interferon'. But Schering-Plough's share of this market halved after patents ran out.
In addition, the New Jersey-based parent company announced in December that it would be cutting its wage bill by 10% or $200m world-wide.
Schering Plough employs another 700 people at two other plants in Co Wicklow; they will not be affected by this announcement.
Most of those effected by this afternoon's announcement in Cork will be contract workers who have been with the company for up to two years. It is hoped the remaining cuts among permanent staff will be achieved through voluntary redundancies.
Meetings with SIPTU worker representatives on severance terms and the timing of the job cuts will begin tomorrow.
Top Wexford hotel for temporary closure
One of Wexford's oldest hotels is to close for a multi-million euro refurbishment, with the temporary loss for 15 months of 80 jobs.
Staff at White's Hotel in the centre of the town believed they were going to be redeployed while the renovations take place.
A spokesperson for the hotel group said it had been a very difficult decision to take, but all the workers were being offered redundancy packages and/or alternative employment in the Group's other hotels in Dungarvan and Portlaoise.
The hotel development will include 300 underground parking spaces, a courtyard, leisure centre and conference centre, restaurants and bars, and around 110 extra bedrooms, bringing the total number of rooms available at the hotel to 170.
