Cork suffers another blow as 150 jobs lost with Pfizer plant sale – Clune

Cork South Central TD and Fine Gael Innovation Spokesperson Deirdre Clune has expressed her concern for the Cork Pfizer employees and their families who have learned that two thirds will lose their jobs.

“Just two weeks before Christmas these employees and their families have received the worst possible news. Of the 232 employees currently working in the Cork plant, just 80 will be retained after the plant is sold. The other two thirds of the employees and their families now face into Christmas in the knowledge that the New Year will bring them a place on the rapidly growing unemployment line.

“In just one week the Cork area has suffered two major blows with the historic Beamish & Crawford plant closing with the loss of 120 jobs, and now 150 jobs being lost at the Pfizer plant.

“These high-profile job losses are taking place at the same time that large numbers of small & medium businesses are putting their employees on part time duties, or letting them go completely. The combined effect of this is an unemployment explosion in the Cork area that is being ignored by a Government which incapable of providing the leadership necessary to deal with this crisis.

“Fine Gael outlined in the Recovery Through Reform document the steps we believe need to be taken to help reduce costs on businesses and encourage employment creation. This is in stark contrast to the Government which is clearly has no plan for economic recovery and is currently lurching from one crisis to the next.”