SIPTU has called on heating company Glen Dimplex to urgently reconsider plans to cut 51 jobs at its manufacturing plant in Newry, Co Down.
The union said it is seeking meaningful engagement with management and is asking the company to fully explore alternatives to compulsory redundancies.
“Our members have expressed deep concern and anger following the confirmation of these threatened job losses,” said SIPTU organiser Niall McNally.
“The proposed losses represent almost 50% of the site’s workforce and raise serious questions about the long-term sustainability and future viability of the operation,” he said.
“Workers and their families are reeling from this announcement, particularly in light of previous assurances given by the company regarding its commitment to the Newry plant,” Mr McNally said.
In January 2025, Glen Dimplex said that around 70 jobs would be cut at its plant in Dunleer in Co Louth.
It followed a previous announcement in February 2024, when the company outlined a major reorganisation and investment in its operations on the island of Ireland and in Lithuania.
At the time, Glen Dimplex said this would result in up to 300 redundancies in the short term but added that its workforce would increase by 200 roles by 2029.
A spokesperson for the company said that overall, headcount reductions at Glen Dimplex remain substantially unchanged from those announced two years ago.
“However, the composition and timing of those reductions has been impacted by the slower pace of the energy transition,” the spokesperson said.
