Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline insists jobs at its Angus factory are safe, after local concerns were raised following cuts in Ireland.
The company employs around 280 people at its plant in Montrose and an announcement that 130 jobs were to go at a similar premises across the Irish Sea, had sparked fears for the security of the workforce.
Less than a decade ago the Angus complex was set for the axe, but has since completed an astonishing turnaround and is in the running for a £500 million investment, as part of plans to build a new biopharmaceutical factory somewhere in the UK.
However, the plant at Dungarvan in the Irish county of Waterford was handed a 30 million injection just three years ago and is now making substantial redundancies, leading to speculation at the firm’s other premises.
A spokesman for GSK moved quickly to quash any rumours, confirming that no positions at Montrose are in jeopardy and adding that the firm is in fact looking to increase the range of items produced there.
He said, “As far as the announcement at Dungarvan is concerned, that will have absolutely no impact as far as Montrose is concerned. Montrose has actually brought on to site a number of additional products over the last year and is looking to extend the range.
“Right now we are in the process of bringing in more products, which is indicative that business is increasing.”
It will be several months before any progress is announced on the bid for new investment at Montrose, with three other sites also hoping to secure the project. The development will be the company’s first new UK factory in three decades with the potential to create 1000 jobs.
Some steroidal product manufacturing is already being transferred in from India and Angus Council is keen to support the firm’s bid to secure the additional jobs.
The factory at Dungarvan will lose 48 jobs when Panadol products are moved to Spain between 2012 and 2014. A further 82 employees will be made redundant in the next two years as part of a cost-cutting programme.
Despite last week’s announcement, the company maintains that it remains committed to its Irish operations.