More than 50 jobs are to be lost with the closure of a bicycle parts manufacturer in Tipperary, it emerged today.
SRAM Ireland said increased competition from the Far East had forced the move and revealed it would wind down operations over the next nine months.
A total of 53 jobs will be lost at the Carrick-on-Suir factory, including 31 permanent and 22 temporary staff.
"This decision has been taken so that SRAM can continue to offer a competitive product and service to their customers in the face of direct competition from Far East based suppliers to the European market," the company stated.
A spokesman added that 11 staff involved in European management and back office activities will be kept on at a new location in the region.
The redundancies bring to almost 500 the number of jobs lost around the country in the first few weeks of 2006. The most severe losses came in Co Longford after a fire gutted the C&D Foods plant leaving almost 300 employees without work.
Elsewhere, Unilever Ireland cut 84 posts, mostly van drivers and delivery jobs.
The Anglo-Dutch consumer goods firm, said the cuts came following a decision to transfer distribution from its in-house van fleet to independent operators.
And 70 jobs are to be lost at the Glen Dimplex manufacturing firm in Tralee due to competition from low-cost countries.