Thirty employees of pharmaceutical giant Sigma-Herron have been made redundant in Brisbane, with workers given no warning they'd lost their jobs, a union says. National Union of Workers (NUW) organiser Duncan Pegg said these were the first layoffs at the Tennyson factory, in southern Brisbane, since the company announced in 2009 it would be winding up the operation. "Workers turned up, only to find their swipe cards weren't working," Mr Pegg told AAP.

"It's quite a macabre sight. If their card works they've got a job, if it doesn't it means they've been made redundant.

"The real concern we have is that thus far the workers who've been made redundant – that we can identify – are union members.

"We're very concerned that they are being victimised. We'll closely monitor the situation and will consider taking action with Fair Work Australia."

Sigma is closing the Tennyson plant because it is more efficient to manufacture and package pharmaceuticals, such as well-known brands Herron paracetamol and Vita-minis, in factories in Melbourne and Sydney.

The company is yet to announce the closure date.

The plant's 144 workers have been offered positions in other states but the NUW said there were only two jobs going in Queensland - and relocation costs aren't on the table.

The NUW met with company officials on Monday.

Mr Pegg was told more redundancies would be made in the coming days.

"About 40 in total are expected to be laid off this week," Mr Pegg said.

About 70 workers went on strike last week at the Brisbane factory over concerns the company was offering workers a redundancy package considerably lower than those at the company's other Australian sites.

Entitlement packages are yet to be finalised.

Source AAP