Dell to Shed 250 More Jobs in Ireland Until 2009

Dell announced yesterday its plan to lay off up to 250 jobs from its operations centers in Dublin and Limerick. The announcement raised a wave of protest from both the company's employees and the local Irish authorities, who labeled the decision as a "bitter blow".

The Irish employees at the two locations have been informed about the new wave of layoffs, but failed in providing further information about any compensations. The system manufacturer has about 4,500 employees in Ireland alone, and the new job slashes are part of the same restructuring process that hit the United States and India.

"All the operations globally have been reviewed. What has been announced today are changes across the European, Middle East and African operations," said a spokesperson for the company. According to Dell's estimations, about 850 positions will be shed in the EMEA area alone.

The company confirmed that the restructuring process would be carried out during the next nine months, and would mostly affect the executive, administrative and support staff at the Dublin facility. Despite the fact that the layoffs will not affect the Irish manufacturing jobs, the Labour Party is already alerted by the announcement.

"The news that Dell Ireland is to shed over 200 jobs, primarily in their Cherrywood facility in South Dublin, is a very worrying development. These positions at Dell have been good jobs in a facility that has been a valuable source of employment for people in south Dublin," said Labour Party leader, Eamon Gilmore.

The recent economic recession that hit the United States has also affected the company's desktop and server sales, and Dell's CEO and co-founder Michael Dell stated that the only way for the company to stay afloat is to cut down on costs. Dell also estimated that the company needs to save about $3 billion globally to maintain profitability and efficiency.

"The loss of 250 jobs is a bitter blow for staff at Dell's facilities in Cherrywood in Dublin and in Limerick," claimed Fine Gael's Labour Affairs spokesman, Damien English. "This news could not have come at a worse time for the families affected as jobs are drying up and the economic outlook is grim. The families affected will still have to pay for mortgages and cope with the rising cost of living," he concluded.

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