Staff told of significant job losses at Athlone company

The Westmeath Independent understands that staff at the Novo Nordisk facility in Monksland, Athlone, were informed today (Monday) that the company is making approximately 75 workers redundant.

It's believed that these mandatory redundancies will take effect in October and that they are in addition some 40 voluntary redundancies that were announced at the Athlone facility in recent weeks.

Novo Nordisk is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Denmark.

Around 400 staff were employed at its Athlone base prior to news emerging of the combined 115 or so voluntary and mandatory job cuts at the facility.

Earlier this month, Novo Nordisk announced plans to reduce its global workforce by 9,000, saying that around 5,000 of the planned job losses would occur in Denmark.

The Westmeath Independent contacted the company about the redundancies in Athlone, but, at the time of writing this evening (Monday) we had not yet received a response.

Novo Nordisk's Monksland premises previously traded as Alkermes and, before that, Elan.