HP declines to comment on job losses in Galway

Date Published: 10-Oct-2008

HEWLETT Packard have declined to either confirm or deny whether there will be any job losses at their Galway plant, following this week’s announcement that the company is to shed 133 jobs nationwide.

There had been speculation on Thursday that all of the job losses would be occurring at Leixlip and Dublin, but the company has declined to confirm where the jobs will go.

Staff at HP’s Galway plant — which employs in the region of 500 people — have been given no indication as to whether their Ballybrit operation will escape unscathed from the job cuts.

The company is to inform staff, or staff representatives, over the coming days on where the jobs axe will fall — HP in Leixlip employ 4,000 people. The cuts come after HP recently acquired the EDS company in Dublin which employs in the region of 400 people — the cuts will affect ‘crossover’ areas between the two companies.

Globally, HP is to axe over 24,000 jobs between now and 2010 with 9,000 of those in the Europe, Middle East and African areas.

“Over the coming days, there will be meetings with both HP and EDS employee representatives to share information on the proposed integration plan for Ireland.

“HP expects that the number of positions impacted in Ireland over the two year timeframe will be 133. HP will make every effort, where possible, to redeploy impacted individuals,” HP said in a statement issued on Thursday.