Medical technology company BD has confirmed its plan to make a "targeted reduction of 60 positions in Drogheda over the course of 15 months".
The firm said this would "right-size its manufacturing operations with today’s realities".
The company outlined a shift in demand for certain products over the last number of years during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It said this was a "difficult strategic decision" but it was not a reflection of the performance of the Drogheda site, which it said had met its operatoinal expectations.
It said this led to extremely high demand for products used on Covid patients and less demand for products that "were not used when non-critical procedures were suspended to increase capacity for Covid patients".
This has led to low inventory for critical products and higher invetory for non-critical products.
BD said that as demand begins to normalise and logisitic transit times become more reliable, BD is "right-sizing manufacturing operations to realign current inventory and future demand".
It also said there had been a reduction of a production line in Drogheda.
BD said the Co Louth facility had been manufacturing components for diabetes care company, Embecta, but that company will take on that manfacturing responsibility at its Dun Laoghaire site.
It confirmed a combination of factors will result in a "targeted reduction of 60 positions" over 15 months and "natural attritition and retirements" is expected to reduce the number of employees affected.
BD currently employs around 235 workers at its Drogheda site.
More than 1,100 people are employed by BD at four facilities across the country.
Yesterday, SIPTU Organiser Robbie Purfield said members were "extremely disappointed and concerned" by the announcement.
He said that union representatives have made a number of suggestions to minimise the number of job losses.
Mr Purfield said that all its members have been briefed and the trade union intends to hold further meetings with members this week and with managment again next week.
