The Glass to shed nearly 500 jobs

mike65

The gradual winding down of Waterford Crystal in Ireland continues with the news that half the workforce in the city are to be made redundent in major
shift of production.

from rte

The trade union representing workers in Waterford Wedgwood says it is resigned to up 500 redundancies following a meeting with senior management.

ATGWU branch chairman Pat Fitzgerald said workers were 'very anxious' as a result of likely job losses.

The meeting was held to discuss a new restructuring initiative planned by the company's management.


The slumping value of the dollar is eating away at how much Waterford Wedgwood gets for its products. Despite a series of cash injections the company, which employs 1,000 in Waterford, remains in serious difficulty.

At its AGM last month, Chairman Tony O'Reilly said there would be a root and branch overhaul of the company globally.

Waterford Wedgwood is in talks with a major investor about raising €50m to finance the restructuring. Tony O'Reilly and his brother-in-law Peter Goulandris will also put in €17m.

When the money is raised the company will proceed with a significant cost-cutting.
While no final decision has been made on any job cuts yet, there is no doubt staff numbers would be affected.

Full details of the restructuring plan are expected in the coming weeks.

Mike.

Typhoon.

OH NO !!! :eek:

SUNGOD

Typhoon. wrote: »

OH NO !!! :eek:

im not sherlock holmes but do i detect a hint of sarcasm typhoon !!!!!

south

from what i hear at least 400 will be leaving in march.

Typhoon.

no sarcasm at all SG....thats bad news... last thing we wantto be hearing is job losses comin up to christmas

fricatus

Sad to say, this has been coming for years... and it's probably not the end.

But where's all the publicity? I swear, if these jobs were being lost in Galway, they'd all be on the 9 o'clock news going "ochón ochón, this is the death-knell for the Wesht. The Minishter has to do something now!" Where the hell are our public representatives?

The IDA say that they have 8 or 9 big commercial projects in the pipeline. What's the betting none of them are earmarked for the country's 5th city?

If we had half a fúcking brain down here, we'd be screaming from the rooftops that Waterford and the southeast are dying on their feet (even if we're not, you can bet the crowd in Limerick/Cork/Galway would!). We'd be demanding a statement in the Dáil from Mícheál Martin, and insisting that one - no, sorry, two - of those projects be diverted down this way "for the sake of our children's futures". Hell, why not take advantage of the situation and insist on implementing the Port Report on the university issue - immediately!

But as bloody usual in Waterford, we're not, because our public representatives are not doing their job and the trade unions are useless - they love going on about "sacking the greedy bosses", but what about lobbying the government about education and moving ourselves up the value chain? Additionally, we seem to have no pull whatsoever in the media outlets in Dublin, unlike the sort of media lobbies that Cork and the West benefit from.

And even our highest profile representative, Martin Cullen, who in fairness has moved us forward on the transport front - where is he now though? I haven't heard a dickie bird out of him? He should have his ministerial colleagues' bálls in a vice-grips! As for Kenneally... the quiet man..., Brian O'Shea, who I otherwise admire, but I haven't yet heard speak on this issue, and Deasy, who can usually be relied on to garner attention for himself - but why isn't he out there, shouting for his constituency?

As of now, the only politician I've heard speaking on the issue is... BIFFO! Fair play to him, at least an Offaly man will open his mouth for us :mad:

mike65

I imagine Cullen is happy to be keeping a low profile in truth. This has been on the national media, they were talking about it yesterday on rte radio for example.

You hit the nail yourself

Sad to say, this has been coming for years... and it's probably not the end.

No-one is too shocked at this, old-world manufacturing has been shifting east for 20 years while a few miles away Genzyme rises up.

Mike.

fricatus

mike65 wrote: »

This has been on the national media, they were talking about it yesterday on rte radio for example.

Of course... I'd expect the loss of 500 jobs to be discussed as a story of national importance. However, our politicians should be using it as an opportunity - yes, I am that mercenary! - to turn the screws and pressure the government into locating new inward investment here, moving the university issue forward, locating national centres of excellence here, whatever.

This is exactly what Galway did. Remember during the '80s and early '90s they were haemmorhaging jobs with Digital closing and everything? Every time 300 jobs went, they made sure the government delivered 600, be it in the university, marine institute, social welfare in Renmore, new employment. That's why it's the boom town it is today. They knew how to turn threats into opportunities. However, we take it lying down.

mike65 wrote: »

...old-world manufacturing has been shifting east for 20 years while a few miles away Genzyme rises up.

True, and that's the way of the world, but we have to make sure we don't have a net loss of employment here. Genzyme employs what, 375 people? We're losing 500 jobs at Crystal. We practically need two Genzymes just to stand still. If we go on TV shouting about the end of the world, the government will be forced into doing "stuff" for Waterford and the SE. This "stuff" could take any form you like - university, boundary extension, airport investment, third river crossing, more trains and buses - not just more (high quality) jobs, though that's the obvious thing.

soldering iron

fricatus wrote: »

Of course... I'd expect the loss of 500 jobs to be discussed as a story of national importance. However, our politicians should be using it as an opportunity - yes, I am that mercenary! - to turn the screws and pressure the government into locating new inward investment here, moving the university issue forward, locating national centres of excellence here, whatever.

This is exactly what Galway did. Remember during the '80s and early '90s they were haemmorhaging jobs with Digital closing and everything? Every time 300 jobs went, they made sure the government delivered 600, be it in the university, marine institute, social welfare in Renmore, new employment. That's why it's the boom town it is today. They knew how to turn threats into opportunities. However, we take it lying down.



True, and that's the way of the world, but we have to make sure we don't have a net loss of employment here. Genzyme employs what, 375 people? We're losing 500 jobs at Crystal. We practically need two Genzymes just to stand still. If we go on TV shouting about the end of the world, the government will be forced into doing "stuff" for Waterford and the SE. This "stuff" could take any form you like - university, boundary extension, airport investment, third river crossing, more trains and buses - not just more (high quality) jobs, though that's the obvious thing.

I am afraid that there going to be more bad news,some employer on the industrial estate is leaving go around 120 temporary workers

kensutz

That's Bausch & Lomb where I work. 111 will be left go.

mike65

Avensis closes in December thats 130 jobs.

Hmmmmmmmmmm, small crisis anyone?

Mike.

kensutz

Seems like it and bad timing with Christmas right around the corner.

Roen

Any word on B&L shedding 110 temps? A few lads were talking about it in work earlier.

kensutz

Yes they're gone from the 4th.

soldering iron

kensutz wrote: »

That's Bausch & Lomb where I work. 111 will be left go.

there are also 4 maintenance staff, ad 3 engineers, sad day for waterford all right

Roen

Sorry Ken, I didn't see the earlier post you made. I was there myself for about seven years, it's bad news all round so really

road_high

Another manufacturing company hitting the wall in the sth east. Very sad to see, espec a flagship like W Crystal....once again highlighting the need for a uni to up the game interms of graduates and R&D..

echosound

Lots of jobs lost in Waterford in the current climate. Unfortunately lost my own job a while ago too:mad:
What's the story with Hasbro? Seems anyone I speak to working there is in constant fear of redundancies etc. Trouble is, as fricatus said, no-one seems to kick up enough of a stink down here, sure NTL closed last year, with what, 100 jobs lost? And so many more jobs in the meantime have gone too. It's sad to see Waterford glass going down the same route, although it's been flagged for ages now. Iconic manufacturer down the tubes. Waterford glass from Slovenia? Not got the same ring to it.

mad man

I already posted half this on another thread so I'll just copy and paste it.

I read it on another Waterford forum that Anthony O'Reilly wants to develop 32 acres of the Waterford Crystal site. I checked it out and it was in yesterdays Sunday Times. The story is he is reducing manufactureing to "stemware" which is "drinking glasses" to you and me. He wants to expand the visitors centre and build a 500 million Euro development of retail and double visitor numbers to the visitors centre. This might not be a bad idea if the Newgate centre goes ahead beforehand because it is possible it will be sustained by visitors to the centre.

There was also an insight into the state of affairs in the glass.The place is in serious trouble and has been on life support for years.O'Reily basically has been bailing it out by selling other assets and funding from other operations he has.If the site in Kilbarry had to stand on its own feet it would be closed yesterday.The high value of the Euro seems to be the death knell. When the company was back in profit last year after selling the lands around the swimming pool this to me was akin to "hocking the family silverware"

I don't like speculating as it must be difficult for people working there.Especially as my own firm is going through redundancies and there is nothing worse than reading some arseholes posts whose agenda is political or otherwise.But the facts are that WC could be shipped like most manufacturing to the Far East and 1500 workers emloyed for the cost of 100 here.They can still trade as "Waterford Crystal" and the reality is most customers and traders don't associate the brand with a place.I was talking to a delpht trader in Holland and he brought up the subject of Waterford Crystal with me as he knew it was Irish.When I told him I was from Waterford he was surprised as he thought it was a family business like Guinness.I honestly think the best case scenario is that the manufacturing opration will be trimmed down to a largely automated factory and the expanded visitors centre and a redeveloped land bank.Hopefully it wil largely replace the existing jobs and keep some form of WC presence in the city.

mike65

Just read that article (must start reading the papers I buy), I did'nt realise the Kilbarry site ws so large (32 acres) if the plan went ahead it would certainly soak up the jobs lost in an overall sense but the nature of the jobs would, of course be completely different (proberly half the income per capita).

Waterford glass from Slovenia? Not got the same ring to it.

Thing is no-one who might buy Glass in the States cares where its made, after all do you care if a VW Golf is made in say, Wolfsburg or Brussels

Mike.

mad man

mike65 wrote: »

Just read that article (must start reading the papers I buy), I did'nt realise the Kilbarry site ws so large (32 acres) if the plan went ahead it would certainly soak up the jobs lost in an overall sense but the nature of the jobs would, of course be completely different (proberly half the income per capita).



Thing is no-one who might buy Glass in the States cares where its made, after all do you care if a VW Golf is made in say, Wolfsburg or Brussels

Mike.

You never know regarding the "type" of jobs.There might be a lot of spin offs in the service industry which could be well paid.I also got the impresion it was not simply a retail and visitor centre project.More of a mixed use thing.You have to bear in mind as well were all the employees of the glass "well paid".I don't know to be honest.I know one guy who worked there and he absolutely hated it and said it was nothing to shout about.Although he was a temporary worker.I think it's safe to say though that a lot of workers there would be facing lower pay in the general workforce.But I think if the net result for the local economy was equal then the city as a whole could breath a sigh of relief.However take into account O'Reillys proposal no matter how good or bad it is will be objected to by you know who? On top of this the militant trade union element will almost certainly jump on the band wagon for no other eason then O'Reillys name is on it plus disgruntled workers.

I'm genuinly fearful that Waterford could end up generating a lot of bad press in the next few years that could stain us in the same way the dock strike and Glass strike in the eighties did.We already have the Newgate development generating protest from WCTU.Read the first paragraph of the report on Waterford Wedgewood.It describes the WC employess as a "well paid militant" workforce which is a bad rep to get and could have a knock on effect for other companies thinking about setting up here.

Freddie59

mad man wrote: »

We already have the Newgate development generating protest from WCTU.

And that is - without exception - the most truly ridiculous carry-on in years. A Union body objecting to what could be, in essence, the creation of Hundreds of jobs - and all without a poll being taken of union members first. Truly democratic.:rolleyes::mad:

And Mike - you're quite right about your comments on where the Glass is manufactured. But I would respectfully suggest that you drop the dismissive tone. The Glass has impacted hundreds of families in Waterford (some good, some bad) and there are a lot of raw nerves still out there. Just hope it never comes knocking at your door my friend.

shapez

If WIT is to become a University, there would a turn-around!!

mad man

shapez wrote: »

If WIT is to become a University, there would a turn-around!!

If we got a university it would make us more competitive.However it might not necessarily be THE solution to our problems.Its only one element.A reputation for having a militant workforce is a negative image to have even if its not reality.It only takes a couple of people.

Planning is the same.All the heat around planning in Waterford is caused by one man who takes it upon himself (without being asked) to regulate planning.