Multinational telecoms company Cable & Wireless is to lay off 28 workers in Ireland as part of a shake-up of its European operations.

The company told The Irish Times yesterday that it intends to let 28 workers go from its offices in Belfast, Cork, Dublin and Shannon. Cable & Wireless said last year that it planned structural changes in its European businesses that would lead to 600 job losses.

A spokeswoman said that the move was part of a Cable & Wireless drive to become the cheapest telecoms service in all of its markets.

"This cost-control strategy will remain part of what we do, but it will not impact on our customers or our operations," she said.

She added that she was not in a position to comment on what types of jobs were being cut.

The company employs 150 people in Ireland. It announced the redundancy programme to its workers last Friday. There was some speculation in recent weeks that Cable & Wireless would cut job numbers in Ireland.

It was believed to be related to its recent purchase of rival Energis in a €1 billion deal.

However, the spokeswoman said that the cuts in its Irish operation were part of the restructuring announced last year. "They are not related to anything else," she said.

Cable & Wireless turned over an estimated €55 million in this country last year. It is one of the larger fixed-line operators and is focused on the corporate and public sector markets, where it provides telecoms and internet services.

The company's clients include health boards, utilities and a range of businesses.

In Britain, it is the second biggest fixed-line player after BT. Earlier this year, the group reported that in the year to the end of March, pretax profits were up 36 per cent to €560 million.