The board of the Sunday World's printing operation will hold an emergency meeting today to discuss the company's future following the loss of another major contract this week.

The company, Terenure Printing, which prints the Sunday World and Star newspapers, is facing the prospect of significant losses from its 180-strong workforce after the loss of a number of contracts, including the Irish Farmers' Journal and the Northern Ireland edition of the Star.

Express Newspapers confirmed to management earlier this week that it was ending its contract with it to print local editions of the Daily and Sunday Express titles.

The decision had been expected but Terenure's management met with the Express Group this week in a last-ditch bid to avert the loss of the contracts.

The board is set to meet later today to discuss the company's future.

Sources say that redundancies are inevitable and the company's high cost base means that its long-term future is also in doubt.

Its staff are amongst the highest paid industrial workers in the Republic, while its presses are 30 years old, meaning they are past the 25-year point at which presses are normally renewed.

At the same time, over the past five years, there has been a wave of investment in new, full-colour printing facilities in the Republic which require less manpower.

It is estimated that, on a copy-for-copy basis, Terenure Printing's nearest competitors charge around 66 per cent of its rates.

Trade unionists are also speculating that the Star, which is part of the same stable as the Sunday World, could also end its contract with the company.

Terenure Printing is a wholly owned subsidiary of Independent News and Media.