Further jobs blow as Sykes to close

THERE was yet more bad news for employment in Shannon, as the closure of Sykes is set to see around another 130 jobs lost.

A spokesperson for the company, speaking from their HQ in Florida this week, refused to say when all the jobs at Shannon would be gone, but said their restructuring should be complete by the end of September. Sykes is also closing a plant in South Africa.
The spokesperson said the company is “exiting markets that are proving not to be strategic any longer, where we’re seeing lower client demand”.
It is believed that around 100 of the staff will be finished by April next, with the remainder likely to finish up in June. Sykes had a number of rounds of redundancies in recent years, including the announcement of 75 lay-offs in September.
Senator Tony Mulcahy provided catering services at the company for over 20 years. He said it is sad to see it closing.
“I’m sorry to see them going, they were a fantastic company to do business with and I was involved with them for 22 years. I couldn’t speak more highly of the local management.”
He said up until now, there had been hope that the company would land a new contract and that the loss of jobs is heartbreaking for those involved.
Mayor of Shannon Mary Brennan said the news is disappointing, both for the workers and the town.
“At this stage every job is so important for Shannon and for families the future is looking bleak.”
Councillor Patricia McCarthy said when a company lays off some of its workforce, there is still hope that it may take on more people in the future, but when it closes completely it is particularly disappointing.
Fine Gael Town and County Councillor Sean McLoughlin said it is a serious blow for Shannon.
“It’s a huge loss to the town. They have been here for years and it comes at a time when we need to attract jobs.”