P&G staff in Nenagh fear for 600 jobs

Workers at the Procter & Gamble plant in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, are fearing for their jobs after they were told to attend a meeting about the plant's future.

There are reports that staff have been told to take the day off and return to attend the meeting tomorrow morning. Up to 600 jobs could be at risk.

Yesterday evening's night shift was also cancelled, and staff were told they could take the rest of the day off tomorrow, following the meeting.

There are further reports that Procter & Gamble has made plans for a $53.08 million investment in a Polish plant that is expected to open in 2008.

Staff had been aware of the upcoming decision, the result of an assessment of its global operations, which was expected to lead to the closure of one of its plants.

The company, which is one of the town's largest employers, has been operating in Nenagh for more than 25 years. The plant

makes products for a number of cosmetics ranges, including Max Factor, and produces Oil of Olay and Hugo Boss products.

As part of a rationalisation programme begun in 1999, Procter & Gamble closed one of its plants based in Yorkshire, England, and created 200 new jobs in Nenagh. However, in February last year, staff were told that 75 jobs were to go, blaming the cuts on seasonal variations.

The Labour Party representative for Tipperary North, Senator Kathleen O'Meara, described the situation as a major worry to the community.

"Unfortunately should the plant close it will be part of a wider trend that has emerged in the area in recent years. Following the closure of GMX in Thurles, Aventis in Nenagh and threatened job losses at Erin Foods, north Tipperary is haemorrhaging many long-standing traditional manufacturing jobs," she said.

"While staff at Procter and Gamble await Wednesday's announcement on the company's future, there is a sense that North Tipperary is not being supported by this Government," she said.

"The fact that the IDA has made no site visits to north Tipperary in over two years shows that we are not on the radar as far as this Government is concerned and are not a target for investment," Ms O'Meara added.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael senator Noel Coonan of Tipperary has expressed his concerns over the future of the plant. He called on the Government to launch an emergency initiative to tackle the spiralling cost of doing businesses in Ireland, and halt the jobs exodus.

"The Procter & Gamble plant in Nenagh has been a tremendous benefit to the company's international operations and I would urge the company to think very carefully before making any drastic decision over its future. The company has reaped the benefits of having one of the most dedicated and productive workforces in Ireland and must take this into account. The Government and State agencies must ensure that anyone laid off is offered full assistance in their efforts to find alternative employment, including training," he said.

"The Fianna Fáil/PD Government abandoned North Tipperary by leaving it out of the National Spatial Strategy. The lack of any hub or gateway towns means that investment has inevitably gone elsewhere. And the exclusion of North Tipperary from the BMW region has had a clear impact on the local economy. You don't have to travel far to see how BMW funding is benefiting neighbouring counties," he added.