Pfizer : job losses

hinault

Pfizer has announced plans to cut 275 jobs in Newbridge, Co Kildare, with more than 500 jobs in Co Dublin and Co Cork also at risk.

210 jobs could be lost at Dún Laoghaire, 225 at Loughbeg and 75 at Shanbally.
Pfizer, Ireland's biggest multinational employer, made the announcement this afternoon as part of a restructuring of its operation.
The company said it is committed to making a 'concerted effort' to sell the sites it proposes to close as ongoing operations.

'We have been successful in this regard before having recently sold our animal health plant in Sligo and our Loughbeg API plant, preserving jobs at both locations,' said Paul Duffy, the company's vice president of manufacturing for primary care and oncology.

Global cuts

The company said it will cut 6,000 jobs, or 18% of its global workforce jobs, at its 78 manufacturing plants over the next five years as it consolidates operations following last year's purchase of smaller rival Wyeth.

Pfizer said in a statement today that it would cease operations at eight plants in Ireland, Puerto Rico and the US by late 2015 and reduce activities at six factories in those countries as well as in Germany and Britain.
Pfizer had 40 manufacturing sites before acquiring more than three dozen Wyeth facilities in the October merger.

Pfizer is counting on savings from the Wyeth merger to help offset expected plunging sales of its $12 billion-a-year Lipitor cholesterol fighter, which begins facing generic competition late next year

Caoimhín

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0518/pfizer.html

That is horrific news for the employees involved and the country in general.

derickmc

I know a couple of people in Loughbeg. They were told that the plant is being sold not closed. According to them they are not expecting much problem finding a buyer.

The feeling in the plant is that a takeover would be worse as it would result in wages being halved over time. To put this in prospective, the majority of the plant are on shift and would be on at least 80k per annum. If there is a take over there is an agreement in place where neither pay or conditions can be altered for 2 years.

Given that any sale won't be happening for at least 18 months (when their patent runs out) the workforce are looking at at least 3.5 years of huge wages. The other option is redundancy of 8.5 weeks per year. Pfizer is a different planet to what most of us are used to.

dean21

we have being here before and it worked out ok lets hope there is a buyer found in time

bleg

derickmc wrote: »

I know a couple of people in Loughbeg. They were told that the plant is being sold not closed. According to them they are not expecting much problem finding a buyer.

The feeling in the plant is that a takeover would be worse as it would result in wages being halved over time. To put this in prospective, the majority of the plant are on shift and would be on at least 80k per annum. If there is a take over there is an agreement in place where neither pay or conditions can be altered for 2 years.

Given that any sale won't be happening for at least 18 months (when their patent runs out) the workforce are looking at at least 3.5 years of huge wages. The other option is redundancy of 8.5 weeks per year. Pfizer is a different planet to what most of us are used to.

That plant will have no bother finding a buyer.

BeardyFunzo

Fingers crossed this won't result in many actual job losses and the buyers will be found for the plants. My understanding of this is that the plants are being closed because of factors not related to Ireland's competitiveness and I hope that this bodes well for the future.

And the closures aren't immediate, which is something i suppose.

Still a shi**y day for alot of people.

Cookie_Monster

makes you wonder though. They put millions into Dun Laoghaire in the last 5 years and now just selling? Granted the same plant is probably duplicated somewhere else due to the takeover of Wyatt but they chose to close two Irish plants over other elsewhere if we're supposed to be so good and knowledgeable etc...

thelagg2000

I think we should all emigrate to Canada, I,m sorry I came back to this HOLE??

Head The Wall

Happens all the time, Abbott did the same few years back. Refurbed a plant and then closed it down.

glaston

Depressing indeed, expect similar from Merck in the next few months

Saganist

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

makes you wonder though. They put millions into Dun Laoghaire in the last 5 years and now just selling? Granted the same plant is probably duplicated somewhere else due to the takeover of Wyatt but they chose to close two Irish plants over other elsewhere if we're supposed to be so good and knowledgeable etc...

It's called Capitalism.

creeper1

Saganist wrote: »

It's called Capitalism.

Yeah and capitalism also needs competition to make sure that those with shoddy business practises or inferior goods go under.

HOw is that meant to be achieved when we have all these mergers and aquisitions? It's a disgrace that this merger was ever allowed. Wyeth and Pfizer should never have joined! Monster pharmaceutical companies stiffle innovation and research. They are also what contributed to the too big to fail problem.

We need to stop these greedy CEOs having so many mergers. This is not what capitalism is about.

How does this leave Ireland in a wider sense?

Looking at today's news has me thinking that we may be in for more of a u-shaped recovery as opposed to a V.

silverharp

creeper1 wrote: »

Yeah and capitalism also needs competition to make sure that those with shoddy business practises or inferior goods go under.

HOw is that meant to be achieved when we have all these mergers and aquisitions? It's a disgrace that this merger was ever allowed. Wyeth and Pfizer should never have joined! Monster pharmaceutical companies stiffle innovation and research. They are also what contributed to the too big to fail problem.

We need to stop these greedy CEOs having so many mergers. This is not what capitalism is about.

How does this leave Ireland in a wider sense?

Looking at today's news has me thinking that we may be in for more of a u-shaped recovery as opposed to a V.

if an industry is having a lot of mergers, it tends to mean that there is too much capacity and declining margins.

Cookie_Monster

glaston wrote: »

Depressing indeed, expect similar from Merck in the next few months

they are currently expanding so I've heard.

Saganist wrote: »

It's called Capitalism.

I know that. The point was if Ireland's knowledge economy is upposed to be so superior and great why pull out of here, over somewhere else? Just goes to show its more gov hype (the knowledge economy) and that we have nothing above anyone else.

I would have though the tax reasons alone may have kept them here though, especially with such high value pharma work.

novarock

I wouldnt think it is anything to do with the money, these places make riciculous money every day. Someone just decided that they needed to make things more efficient.

What is the point to a company that has just had a major merger take place leaving two factories open that do exactly the same function.. These jobs losses aren't a big surprise to the wyeth or pfizer employees. They have been on the cards for a few years since discussions on the merger began.

the plant will be bought again, and the losses wont be as bad as they are being outlined. Unfortunately this is reality when you work for a company with 100,000 employees globally.

bleg

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I know that. The point was if Ireland's knowledge economy is upposed to be so superior and great why pull out of here, over somewhere else? Just goes to show its more gov hype (the knowledge economy) and that we have nothing above anyone else.

The plants they're exiting in Ireland are pretty tiny in fairness. Ireland did better than the average work force with only 15% of the work force cut here compared to 18% worldwide...

GGirl2010

Any graduate jobs goin??? i had an interivew for pfizer there last year now... i didnt get it now. no clue as to why i would have love some feedback now.. but they seem to have no reply emails , i didnt even get an email in the process .. so i went to canada . did some travelling as well and tried to get work lol... it seems, a one year working visa , is nothing, harder to get somewere anyways. Permanacy visa they will def ring you .

There is some science internships up on the jobbridge now, but ones i waned are gone ... so competetive.. i need experience ...

Anyway, any jobs going lol. Pfizer, Amgen, Merck?? I work in a clothing shop.

This will probably be closed as it's an old thread.

Perhaps mayne try to be a little bit more realistic? You've little to no experience and there's people with years experience and PhD's willing to work for feck all, so the big places have the pick of the bunch. Why not look somehwhere smaller like Clonmedica, Leo Pharma, TCoag, Oriflame etc etc

physioman

try rowa pharmaeuticals in Bantry, Co. Cork. People have started off there and got jobs in the bigger companies.

GGirl2010

Starla_o0 wrote: »

This will probably be closed as it's an old thread.

Perhaps mayne try to be a little bit more realistic? You've little to no experience and there's people with years experience and PhD's willing to work for feck all, so the big places have the pick of the bunch. Why not look somehwhere smaller like Clonmedica, Leo Pharma, TCoag, Oriflame etc etc

Ah yeah ok ill take note of that now.. are oriflame close to pfizer in bray.. or are they in the town centre of bray? southern road cross?. thank you.

GGirl2010

physioman wrote: »

try rowa pharmaeuticals in Bantry, Co. Cork. People have started off there and got jobs in the bigger companies.

em well i got an interview with pfizer , they obvously liked my skills/education. Im pretty sure people with 5/6 years exp went for it also and it was for starter job, graduate roles. But anyway lol.. im going to apply again. Ill also look at amgen they are in bray, pottery road.

Philistine

GGirl2010 wrote: »

..... Ill also look at amgen they are in bray, pottery road.

Pottery Road, Dun Laoghaire

Dr Galen

This is probably more suited to Work & Jobs, do you want me to see if I can get it moved over there?

GGirl2010

Dr Galen wrote: »

This is probably more suited to Work & Jobs, do you want me to see if I can get it moved over there?

Pottery road yeah, Dr Galen what do you mean lol.. Move waht where??? do you work for them ??

Monty Burnz

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I know that. The point was if Ireland's knowledge economy is upposed to be so superior and great why pull out of here, over somewhere else? Just goes to show its more gov hype (the knowledge economy) and that we have nothing above anyone else.

This. Standards of education in Ireland just aren't that great compared to many other countries.

Dr Galen

GGirl2010 wrote: »

Pottery road yeah, Dr Galen what do you mean lol.. Move waht where??? do you work for them ??

the thread.....it would be better suited to the Work and Jobs forum

EDIT

actually, it would be better off just starting a new thread over there tbh. As this is a pretty old thread I'll lock it to avoid confusion

DrG