200 jobs to go in Limerick

Software firm Thomson Scientific has announced its intention to cut 200 jobs from its workforce in Limerick.

The move comes as part of the company's plan to integrate its patent and literature editorial production processes, proposing the transfer of work from its facilities in Limerick, Manchester, Holbrook House in London, and Cherry Hill in the United States to the company's Indian facilities.

Thomson Scientific, which has completed a 30-day consultation period with workers, hasn't given a definite date for the job losses, but expects the redundancy programme to take about 18 months to complete.

It has also assured workers that it will do all it can to help them to find new jobs.

"We face stiff competition from aggressive competitors keen to grow their market share," the company said in a statement. "In order to continue to maintain our place in the market and to secure the future of our business we need to take action now. This editorial integration is aimed at maintaining and continuing to improve our service whilst reducing costs."

Other Irish operations are unaffected by the announcement.

Labour TD Jan O'Sullivan described the news as "alarming".

"Indeed it is a further worrying sign of problems in the hi-tech sector as this bombshell has come so soon after hundreds of workers in Motorola in Cork were told that there jobs were under threat," she said.

"The government appears to have become complacent with no attempts being made to identify jobs at risk or to intervene to try to save them. They need to address this problem as a matter of urgency."