UTC Fire and Security has announced that up to 200 of its employees are likely to lose their jobs as the company plans to relocate its operations to alternative sites throughout the world.
The Citywest company, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, provides fire safety and security products to international customers. Consultation will begin this week as the company decides whether to close down the operation entirely or downsize.
Labour TD Pat Rabbitte described the job losses a “massive blow to the workers and to the local economy”.
Unemployment rates
“This area has lost many jobs in recent years in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors, and these job losses are the last thing that local communities need. Already the unemployment rate in Tallaght is at crisis level, and joblessness among young people is spiralling out of control.”
Rabbitte said yesterday that losing this amount of workers in the sector shows that the Government’s support and development strategy is not working.
“We know that each lost job costs the exchequer about €20,000 per year, so prolonged period of unemployment for these workers is in nobody’s interest,” Rabbitte added.
