The announcement today that the Beckman Coulter plant in Mervue in Galway is to close with the loss of 140 jobs has come as a shock to many of the company’s employees, according to SIPTU Organiser, Frank Jones. “Our members are shocked at this announcement. It is regrettable that jobs with terms and conditions of employment such as those that have applied in Beckman Coulter don’t appear to be coming on stream to the same degree that they are being wiped out. This is not a company which is struggling to maintain its place in the market. It is a growing and highly profitable company which has decided to reduce costs in an effort to further maximise profits. The decision to close the Mervue plant will have a serious and severe impact on the region,” Frank Jones said.He said that a general meeting of the 83 SIPTU members affected will be convened on Monday 6th October and this will be followed by meetings with management on Wednesday.“The purpose of meeting with management is to explore alternatives to redundancy such as re-location to the Beckman plant in Tulla, Co. Clare, and indeed regrettably to initiate discussions on compensation for those who will lose their jobs as a result of the management decision to close this plant. SIPTU will seek the best terms achievable for our members,” Frank Jones said.The Beckman Coulter plant has been in Galway since 1972 and has provided the locality with stable employment on good terms and conditions. The company produces medical devices for diagnostic purposes throughout the world. In recent years, Beckman was acquired by Danaher, a Washington based multi-national involved primarily in the technology sector. At the time of the acquisition in 2011/2012 it was announced that Danaher would reduce its worldwide headcount by 8% from the then level of 63,000 employees. Last year, the Danaher group reported profits of over $3bn on sales of $20bn.
SIPTU members shocked at closure of profitable Beckman Coulter plant in Galway
