90 Jobs to go at Merck Sharp & Dohme Plant in Cork

There was bad news for Cork yesterday with the announcement that 90 jobs are to be lost at the Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) plant in Brinny. Workers at the plant were informed of the news at a meeting called by MSD management at 2pm yesterday afternoon, where they were told that the global healthcare company will cut its workforce over the next six months. The plant currently employs 455 people and this latest development will serve as a particular blow as the company announced 70 new jobs just over a year ago in June 2011 as part of a €28 million investment in the plant. Matt Corcoran, site manager, commented: "This is extremely challenging news for all of us at the site to absorb. We have committed substantial resources to investigate all elements of our business operations to identify potential cost savings, but reducing workforce was necessary and sadly unavoidable for the site to stay competitive. Our immediate priority now is to work with and support all our employees during the consultation process."