A spokesperson for Xerox confirmed to the Dundalk Leader on Monday evening that they will discontinue their manufacturing sector in Dundalk with a planned phased closure between July and December this year. Xerox began production in Dundalk amid much fanfare in 1999 with the promise of over 2000 jobs when the plant was in full production but just two years later the US company announced job cuts totaling 400 jobs at a time when around 1000 people were employed by the multinational corporation.
In 2008 a further 50 workers were made redundant by which time less than 500 people were employed at the Dublin Road plant. Earlier this year Xerox announced that they were aiming to reduce its worldwide workforce in the first quarter of 2024 by 15% which equated roughly to 3000 staff worldwide and there were worries that their Irish sector could be affected by those cuts.
Those worries came to fruition this week with Xerox confirming that they were planning to cease manufacturing operations in Dundalk. Justin Capella, Media Relations and M&A Lead Corporate Communications confirmed that the Dundalk Manufacturing Plant would cease opeatons by the end of the year
“Xerox can confirm its intent to enter consultation with its employees on the proposed cessation of equipment manufacturing operations in the Dundalk, Ireland facility. Employee consultation will commence on April 30 with a proposal that the plant will have a phased closure between July and December 2024. The decision to discontinue this manufacturing is a necessary step as we work to simplify our core products to align with the needs of today’s production clients. Xerox’s toner manufacturing facility at Dundalk is not impacted.”
When asked by the Dundalk Leader, how many people would be affected by this announcement the Xerox spokesperson was unable to give exact figures.
“At this time, we are unable to provide specific information, but can confirm proposed reductions will be subject to formal consultation with local works councils and employee representative bodies. We are committed to providing support for affected employees and treating all employees with dignity, respect, and appreciation as we continue this journey,” read the response.
Paddy Malone, from the Dundak Chamber of Commerce expressed his disappointment with the announcement and urged Xerox to treat their employees with decency over the coming months.
“It is always disappointing when we see manufacturing jobs leave the town and I express my sympathies to those workers affected by this announcement. We have a strong engineering tradition in this town but unfortunately manufacturing jobs are under threat all around the world. We have to ensure we remain strong and attractive with regards to software, development and Research and Development,” stated Paddy.
“I would urge Xerox to treat their workers well and make redundancies voluntary or at least give generous terms to men and women who have given fifteen to twenty years of their life to the company. I would also ask that they treat them with respect and I would suggest they have an obligation to tie in with EI and the IDA to help identify other sources of employment for them.
“There is help at hand for any worker who needs to upskill and the Chamber’s Skillnet resource is a great help for anybody looking to upskill and help in finding alternative employment. I would also suggest the LMETB and DkIT as two other places locally who can help anybody looking to upskill,” stated Paddy.
