Image: © Taljat/Stock.adobe.com
The company currently employs 1,000 people in the Dublin facility and said the decision is part of a plan to restructure its global business.
An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, TD, has extended his sympathies to the Novartis employees affected by the company’s decision to make cuts to its workforce.
The pharmaceutical multinational has announced plans to cut up to 400 jobs from its Dublin operations.
The job losses are set to take place over the next two years at the company’s Global Service Centre in Dublin. Novartis currently employs around 1,000 people in this location.
In a statement, Novartis said the decision was a strategic one and stemmed from an ongoing review of its operations in many locations. The company has not specified which jobs are being cut.
“Although the jobs losses are not unexpected, I know it will come as a major blow to workers and their families,” said Varadkar.
“I’m glad to see that Novartis has reiterated its commitment to Ireland, recognising the high quality of our workforce and that it will keep employees informed in as transparent and timely a manner as possible. I have also asked my officials and IDA Ireland to keep me informed of developments, especially regarding precisely how many roles are at risk before the end of 2024 and what the redundancy package will be.”
Earlier this year, Novartis revealed plans to cut 8,000 jobs across its offices worldwide in order to boost its performance and have a “leaner and simpler” structure. The pharma giant currently employs around 108,000 staff globally.
The multinational informed Dublin staff of the decision earlier today (13 October) and said the facility will continue to play a critical role, with a focus on scientific and commercial operations. The company said it will consult with employee representatives as required under Irish law.
Varadkar said that the Government will make all necessary State assistance available to the workers and help them find new employment, education and training opportunities. “Given the nature of the work and sector involved, I would hope they can find new employment quickly,” he said.
Novartis employs a further 500 people at another Dublin site and its Ringaskiddy manufacturing facility in Cork. In 2019, the company confirmed plans to close one of its Cork production buildings by mid-2022.
Last March, Novartis agreed to sell the Cork facility to the UK-based manufacturing and development company Sterling Pharma Solutions. Under this agreement, Sterling will acquire and operate the Ringaskiddy facility, which will remain linked with Novartis. The deal is expected to formally close sometime this year.
Meanwhile, there are rumours that Intel is planning to cut thousands of jobs across its global operations. Bloomberg reported that the decision is being made to cut costs and handle issues in the PC market, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
Intel currently employs around 4,900 staff across its Irish operations.
The chipmaker also has plans to restructure its company by further separating its chip designers and chip-making factories to revamp the company, Wall Street Journal reports.
10 things you need to know direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of essential sci-tech news.
