Management and staff representatives at the Becton Dickenson (BD) plant in Drogheda have reached agreement on redundancy terms more than five months after it was announced the facility is to close.
The final deal is understood to provide for staff to receive six weeks of pay per year of service capped at two years’ pay in addition to their statutory entitlements.
There are also to be service recognition payments of €3,000 per year for those working for the company for more than 17⅓ years as well as payments to cover the loss of benefits like health insurance and orderly wind down payments linked to productivity.
Almost 200 people currently work at the plant which opened in 1964. The decision to close it was taken by the company after an international supply chain review.
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About 110 people will leave in March of next year with the rest staying on until the scheduled closure in September 2026.
Plant manager Catherina McGuirk said the decision to close had been “extremely difficult” but that “the agreement recognises the commitment and hard work that every employee has given to BD over the years and gives our employees the clarity they need to plan for the future as we all move forward.”
She said that with agreement now in place, the company would seek to take steps to ensure it leaves a last positive legacy in Drogheda.
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Mike Fairbourn, BD’s general manager across the UK and Ireland said the company would work with government agencies and others to seek a new owner for the plant.
“I am very aware of the impact this has had on our employees and the local community,” he said.
“This is why BD has committed to work collaboratively with the IDA and local officials to secure a new owner for the facility. This would mean that the site can remain as a contributor to Drogheda’s economic growth, as well as a potential source of employment.
Siptu sector organiser, Andrea Cleere, welcomed the agreement with the company which was reached after talks between management, unions and other staff representatives at the Workplace Relations Commission.
“The acceptance by our members of these redundancy terms has brought clarity concerning the conclusion of their employment with Becton Dickinson and will now allow them to plan for their future,” she said.
She said some of those scheduled to leave in March had already secured new employment to commence in the period afterwards.
The medical devices multinational continues to operate other facilities at Enniscorthy, Limerick and Blackrock in Dublin.
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