Dell takes secateurs to Irish workforce

DELL IS TO CUT 150 JOBS from its Irish workforce of 5,000. The direct selling, world number 2 computer maker last week posted figures suggesting it was weathering the slow-down better than most and had trimmed operating expenses to under 10 per cent of the value of its turnover for the first time.

The corporation wants to trim its costs even further, however, and is seeking 150 vounteers from its most cost effective manufacturing facility to take redundancy.

In a statement, the company said it is seeking the redundancies from its permanent administrative and management workforce at its Raheen plant. Dell says consolidation at the Raheen plant in Co Limerick, led to the duplication of some administrative and management, and it is these jobs that are to be cut. Employees are offered six weeks' pay per year of service, extended medical and life cover, and, er, career couselling.

Dell is estimated to contibute around 5.5 per cent to Irish exports, accounting for two per cent of Irish GDP. The company's press office is spookily unmanned at the time of writing. µ