200 employees at the Limerick office of the German owned electronic and mechatronic product manufacturing business KOSTAL have been put on a three day working week for five weeks.

The company said the move at its Abbeyfeale plant was the result of "an unexpected reduction in customer demand" for its on-board charger products that are used in all-electric and plug-in-hybrid electric vehicles.

The firm did not say what was behind the demand reduction, but said it was not Brexit related.

The cut in working hours begins today and lasts for five weeks until April 19th.

KOSTAL Ireland currently has 1,038 employees in this country, with 693 employees in the Limerick facility and 345 in its Mallow plant.