Job Losses at Aviva

dixiefly

Look ominous....this type of rumour is almost always true.

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/aviva-fears-for-up-to-700-jobs-as-company-moves-hq-2882525.html

Independent.ie
Aviva: Fears for up to 700 jobs as company moves HQ
By Luke Byrne and Anne-Marie Walsh
Wednesday September 21 2011

FEARS were mounting today for the future of hundreds of jobs at multinational insurance firm Aviva after it confirmed it is "reviewing" positions in its Irish operation.

It is understood that upwards of 700 jobs could be under threat at the Irish arm of the British firm which employs about 1,600 staff here.


Restructuring is on the cards as the company moves its European headquarters from Dublin to London in the next month.


The company said it is considering various options to ensure it has a sustainable and competitive business in light of the difficult economic environment here.


It is understood that income in the sales and pensions divisions fell by 17pc last year.


The UNITE trade union was today seeking an urgent meeting with management at the company. It represents 1,300 of the staff employed here.


Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said last night he had heard "rumours of the problem" at Aviva, which he understood to be related to a fall in domestic demand.


An Aviva spokeswoman told the Irish Independent that it was "too early" to speculate about the outcome of the review because it was ongoing.


Any losses at the company, which employs about 54,000 around the world, would be a further blow to the Irish economy. The company moved into a large headquarters in Dublin's Hatch Street in 2007.


Professor Ray Kinsella, of UCD said today that the insurance industry was going through a difficult time in terms of income and claims and the industry was vulnerable. “This would be a devastating blow to the workforce as the financial sector is under severe pressure,” he said.


In 2009 it was announced that Aviva had bought the naming rights for the new Lansdowne Road, for an amount rumoured to be more than €40m.


"Given the difficult economic environment in which we are all operating in Ireland, we are considering various options to ensure we have a sustainable and competitive business, providing excellent service and value for our Irish customers," a statement from the company said. "Aviva is committed to Ireland, where we have had a business for over 100 years," the statement maintained.


RTE's 'Prime Time' programme claimed 500 jobs were at risk. However, it wasn't all bad news yesterday. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will have created 400 temporary construction jobs at one of its major biotech plants by the end of next year.


Another 80 IT graduates will be recruited over three years at a new software delivery centre set up by Indian firm HCL Technologies in Dublin but a site has yet to be selected.


Elsewhere, manufacturing firm McDonald International has announced the creation of 40 jobs at its Tullamore manufacturing operation.


The Pfizer announcement comes just a year after the multinational shed almost 800 staff in its operations across the country. Pfizer yesterday said recruitment for the construction jobs at its Grange Castle plant in Clondalkin, Dublin, has started and 400 people will have been taken on by the end of next year.


Investment


A spokeswoman would not say whether the new investment would mean that more jobs would also be created at the extended facility when building finishes.


She said the construction workers would be based at the €2.5bn biotech site. The site currently employs 1,100 full-time staff out of a total workforce of 5,000 at 13 sites involved in manufacturing, research and development countrywide.


Meanwhile, Jobs Minister Richard Bruton yesterday announced that HCL Technologies,which has more than 85,000 employees worldwide, will create 80 jobs in an IDA-backed investment.


The computer graduates will provide services to clients in financial services, insurance and the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.


- Luke Byrne and Anne-Marie Walsh

I love Joan Burton

Fúck sakes more good news eh!

thebman

It sounds true, a friend left there recently having worked there for years so this was probably why they left. Must have heard something about this as they had no other reason to leave and didn't really say much about it.

GSF

thebman wrote: »

It sounds true, a friend left there recently having worked there for years so this was probably why they left. Must have heard something about this as they had no other reason to leave and didn't really say much about it.

why would you leave in advance of a redundancy programme where you will probably get a significant pay out?

BrerWolf

Often times it makes sense to get out early, especially since if they're closing the whole place, there'll be hundreds of people all looking for a new job at the same time.

Odd that they're moving to london though - higher corporation tax and higher salaries...

COYW

GSF wrote: »

why would you leave in advance of a redundancy programme where you will probably get a significant pay out?

Get ahead of the rest and find a new job? Also, he might not be in the company that long and the payout might not be that much, if anything.

COYW

BrerWolf wrote: »

Often times it makes sense to get out early, especially since if they're closing the whole place, there'll be hundreds of people all looking for a new job at the same time.

Odd that they're moving to london though - higher corporation tax and higher salaries...

They could replace their experienced staff on high salaries and pensions with younger people on far less attractive packages over there though.

stargazer 68

Now im not really up on the ins and outs of the economy etc but with all the hype about the corporate tax being at such a good rate how come all these companies are upping and leaving??

The corporate tax was a sticking point with the IMF deal as it was enticing new business etc but clearly thats not the case - or am I talking rubbish?

purpleblaa

BrerWolf wrote: »

Odd that they're moving to london though - higher corporation tax and higher salaries...

UK company, creating UK jobs. A lot of people in the UK are getting more and more frustrated with their companies outsourcing the work. Could be a PR move. Cost more in the short-term, but will gain them more customers long-term.

listermint

Dovies wrote: »

Now im not really up on the ins and outs of the economy etc but with all the hype about the corporate tax being at such a good rate how come all these companies are upping and leaving??

The corporate tax was a sticking point with the IMF deal as it was enticing new business etc but clearly thats not the case - or am I talking rubbish?

The Euro appears to be a major concern, Presently trading internally on the pound for a UK company would be more viable. Plus who knows what sorts of incentives these companies are getting to come to London. Lots of cash being poured in there prior to the Olympics.

RichardAnd

Not good news. It could be said that the hemorrhaging of jobs that was seen in 2009 has passed but as the Talk Talk charade demonstrated, jobs are still being lost at a worrying pace.

It may be that this will be pattern for the coming years. Unemployment as a statistic remains fairly consistent yet the actual real employment figure continues to dwindle gradually, like blood from a wound that won't heal. We might get a bone tossed to us every now and then in the form of high end IT jobs that are likely to be filled by immigrants or the odd laboratory that needs Paddy to clean the floors but by and large, job creation is for nothing if job loss supplants it.

This kind of situation, if indeed it does become the norm for an extended period, will have an execrable affect upon morale. I personally, get up each day to go to a job I hate under a supervisor that drives me nuts. The recession has seen to it that I am not only trapped in this job but that I also face the very real possibility of loosing the income it gives me. Not happy times, to say the least.

COYW

Dovies wrote: »

The corporate tax was a sticking point with the IMF deal as it was enticing new business etc but clearly thats not the case - or am I talking rubbish?

Not really a factor in this case. It's more to do with appeasing their client base in the UK. The euro is also a factor, of course.

Pythia

We've known about this for months. They keep pushing back the announcement. I think we first heard of it in April.

Yes, quite a few people have already left as they shut down certain projects immediately after we first heard the news.

femur61

Dovies wrote: »

Now im not really up on the ins and outs of the economy etc but with all the hype about the corporate tax being at such a good rate how come all these companies are upping and leaving??

The corporate tax was a sticking point with the IMF deal as it was enticing new business etc but clearly thats not the case - or am I talking rubbish?

Exactly.

liammur

dixiefly wrote: »

Look ominous....this type of rumour is almost always true.

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/aviva-fears-for-up-to-700-jobs-as-company-moves-hq-2882525.html

Independent.ie
Aviva: Fears for up to 700 jobs as company moves HQ
By Luke Byrne and Anne-Marie Walsh
Wednesday September 21 2011

FEARS were mounting today for the future of hundreds of jobs at multinational insurance firm Aviva after it confirmed it is "reviewing" positions in its Irish operation.

It is understood that upwards of 700 jobs could be under threat at the Irish arm of the British firm which employs about 1,600 staff here.


Restructuring is on the cards as the company moves its European headquarters from Dublin to London in the next month.


The company said it is considering various options to ensure it has a sustainable and competitive business in light of the difficult economic environment here.


It is understood that income in the sales and pensions divisions fell by 17pc last year.


The UNITE trade union was today seeking an urgent meeting with management at the company. It represents 1,300 of the staff employed here.


Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said last night he had heard "rumours of the problem" at Aviva, which he understood to be related to a fall in domestic demand.


An Aviva spokeswoman told the Irish Independent that it was "too early" to speculate about the outcome of the review because it was ongoing.


Any losses at the company, which employs about 54,000 around the world, would be a further blow to the Irish economy. The company moved into a large headquarters in Dublin's Hatch Street in 2007.


Professor Ray Kinsella, of UCD said today that the insurance industry was going through a difficult time in terms of income and claims and the industry was vulnerable. “This would be a devastating blow to the workforce as the financial sector is under severe pressure,” he said.


In 2009 it was announced that Aviva had bought the naming rights for the new Lansdowne Road, for an amount rumoured to be more than €40m.


"Given the difficult economic environment in which we are all operating in Ireland, we are considering various options to ensure we have a sustainable and competitive business, providing excellent service and value for our Irish customers," a statement from the company said. "Aviva is committed to Ireland, where we have had a business for over 100 years," the statement maintained.


RTE's 'Prime Time' programme claimed 500 jobs were at risk. However, it wasn't all bad news yesterday. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will have created 400 temporary construction jobs at one of its major biotech plants by the end of next year.


Another 80 IT graduates will be recruited over three years at a new software delivery centre set up by Indian firm HCL Technologies in Dublin but a site has yet to be selected.


Elsewhere, manufacturing firm McDonald International has announced the creation of 40 jobs at its Tullamore manufacturing operation.


The Pfizer announcement comes just a year after the multinational shed almost 800 staff in its operations across the country. Pfizer yesterday said recruitment for the construction jobs at its Grange Castle plant in Clondalkin, Dublin, has started and 400 people will have been taken on by the end of next year.


Investment


A spokeswoman would not say whether the new investment would mean that more jobs would also be created at the extended facility when building finishes.


She said the construction workers would be based at the €2.5bn biotech site. The site currently employs 1,100 full-time staff out of a total workforce of 5,000 at 13 sites involved in manufacturing, research and development countrywide.


Meanwhile, Jobs Minister Richard Bruton yesterday announced that HCL Technologies,which has more than 85,000 employees worldwide, will create 80 jobs in an IDA-backed investment.


The computer graduates will provide services to clients in financial services, insurance and the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.


- Luke Byrne and Anne-Marie Walsh

FF told us we are a high end economy. No need for these jobs. We concentrate on the smart economy. Hugely paid jobs with big expenses and many pensions. How true they were.

Alwayson

Multinationals are not the answer to our economic problems. So they were saying on Primetime last night. Call centres are certainly vulnerable. They also discussed how indigenous businesses have been ignored. Richard Bruton was in Miami when he heard about it. His response when asked about Aviva was all over the place. He referred at one stage to "companies in the global world". He's a scary man to have in charge of enterprise, jobs and innovation at a time like this.

mikemac

Minister for Jobs commenting that's he is hearing rumours?
Not something to fill you with confidence

He has staff and people working for him, he should be the most informed person around.


I wonder if people on boards know more about the situation in Aviva then he does

Alwayson

mikemac wrote: »

Minister for Jobs commenting that's he is hearing rumours?
Not something to fill you with confidence

He has staff and people working for him, he should be the most informed person around.


I wonder if people on boards know more about the situation in Aviva then he does

"I have heard rumours that is a problem" is Bruton's exact response when asked by Richard Crowley about the Aviva situation. http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=1113334 28mins in.

liammur

Alwayson wrote: »

Multinationals are not the answer to our economic problems. So they were saying on Primetime last night. Call centres are certainly vulnerable. They also discussed how indigenous businesses have been ignored. Richard Bruton was in Miami when he heard about it. His response when asked about Aviva was all over the place. He referred at one stage to "companies in the global world". He's a scary man to have in charge of enterprise, jobs and innovation at a time like this.

What about Micheal Martin. Bringing in the likes of Talk Talk on huge tax incentives for 10 years. What happens after 10 years Micheal when the incentives are up????
Then, we were told we are aiming for high end jobs, the smart economy.

He was even scarier.

COYW

liammur wrote: »

Then, we were told we are aiming for high end jobs, the smart economy.

The smart economy is not enough. One look at the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate results in Mathematics and Scientific subjects tells us that the majority of the younger population do not have the required skills to have a career in that sector.

liammur

COYW wrote: »

The smart economy is not enough. One look at the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate results in Mathematics and Scientific subject tells us that the majority of the younger population do not have the required skills to have a career in that sector.

Exactly. Shows what muppets have led this country.

inmyday

COYW wrote: »

They could replace their experienced staff on high salaries and pensions with younger people on far less attractive packages over there though.

Very true, They are moving their european headquarters from Dublin to London, they have not said why.
The company did something similar in 2008, they announced 500 jobs, but only let go 250ish. They moved jobs over to India then. The media have not said one thing about these job loses in 2008, I wonder why.

thebman

mikemac wrote: »

Minister for Jobs commenting that's he is hearing rumours?
Not something to fill you with confidence

He has staff and people working for him, he should be the most informed person around.


I wonder if people on boards know more about the situation in Aviva then he does

In fairness, I've heard rumours means he knows exactly what is going on most likely but can't say anything until the company make the announcement as he isn't really in a position to announce job losses to employee's.

tommyboy2222

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15078511

These jobs going up north ?

inmyday

850 to go, I have to say they are complete and utter chancers. I feel sorry for the customers also, i even wonder will they end up staying in ireland!
They couldnt make their mind up 3 years ago, and they having another go at it.

Richard571

BrerWolf wrote: »

Often times it makes sense to get out early, especially since if they're closing the whole place, there'll be hundreds of people all looking for a new job at the same time.

Odd that they're moving to london though - higher corporation tax and higher salaries...

London salaries are often no higher than Dublin epecially for the type of jobs that are potentially being transferred over.....corporation tax for UK generated profits (the majority of profit's would be generated in the UK for Aviva anyway) would have been taxable at the higher rate anyway so probably not a huge incremental cost.....nevertheless bad news.

tommyboy2222

Originally Posted by BrerWolf
Often times it makes sense to get out early, especially since if they're closing the whole place, there'll be hundreds of people all looking for a new job at the same time.

And miss out on the redundancy package ??

A lot of the staff in there have been there for 10+ years and are in for a big payday.

It really depends on the area you work in. People who work in areas like IT where there are jobs should be ok.

Dublin Spur

tommyboy2222 wrote: »

And miss out on the redundancy package ??

A lot of the staff in there have been there for 10+ years and are in for a big payday.

It really depends on the area you work in. People who work in areas like IT where there are jobs should be ok.

Absolutely no guarantee of a "big payday"
It could be as low as statutory redundancy, but hopfully not.

They had a VR program in 2008 and offered 6 weeks pay for every year's service. I would expect these redundancies to be significantly lower than this as the money available will be smaller given the large number of staff involved.

I worked there for 9 years and left 6 months ago.
Really hope my pals still that are still there get a good result.
Horrible situation

tommyboy2222

There's talk of 8 weeks.

Dublin Spur

tommyboy2222 wrote: »

There's talk of 8 weeks.

I'd be amazed but I hope it's true