Updated at 13.25pm
THE FEARS OF Irish workers at Coty have been confirmed, as the beauty product manufacturer announced the closure of its Tipperary plant today, affecting some 200 workers.
“As a result of this study we are proposing to consolidate our cosmetics operations into two core centres which will result in the closure of the Nenagh plant.
Specific timelines are still under consideration and subject to consultation, but we propose to complete the Nenagh volume transition by the end of calendar year 2018.
Staff at the plant, which produces Max Factor beauty products, were called to a meeting at midday today at which the announcement was made.
“The executive has taken every measure to stave off job losses. However, we’ve been told to hope for the best but to expect the worst,” Sinn Féin’s Seamus Morris told Fora.
“It’s a huge body blow to everyone in the town because a couple of years ago staff were told the plant was moving to Poland, but they worked hard to stave off that move through talks with the company.”
In a released statement, the company said it commenced a review of global manufacturing capacities last October and will deliver those findings to employees in Nenagh today.
The spokesperson said this study will “define the best manufacturing footprint to deliver our future growth and is still “subject to board approval”.
Commenting on the announcement, Juan Miguel Pacheco, plant manager at Nenagh said they would work closely with workers and their families throughout the consultation and “to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect”.
Foreign investment
The plant is based on the old site of the Procter & Gamble manufacturing facility, and has been in operation since 1978. It was acquired by Coty last October as part of a $12.9 billion merger deal.
It is expected that Coty, which also produces other fragrances and skincare products for Rimmel and Calvin Klein, will move the operations of the Irish plant to a similar facility in the UK.
Morris said that the announcement is a bit of a surprise because the feeling was the Brexit vote would sway the company to keep it Irish plant and close its operation in Kent.
He added that the county council has requested a meeting with Minister for Jobs Mary Mitchell O’Connor to talk about the issue.
“This Coty plant is the last foreign direct investment of its size in Nenagh. FDI just hasn’t been flowing into the area,” he said.
Morris added that the area is “very fortunate” that payments processor First Data is opening a new European research and development centre in the area. That move is expected to generate up to 300 jobs for the area.
With reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha
Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie
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