More Jobs Cuts in Waterford and Co. Mayo

It has become known this evening that 200 jobs will soon be lost in two different companies, one based in Waterford, and the other in Co. Mayo.

The US-owned multi-national eye care products manufacturer Bausch & Lomb is expected to announce tomorrow morning that 120 people are to be made redundant at its large plant in Waterford (photo), where it is one of the main employers.

This will bring the workforce at the factory to below 1100, nearly 700 people less than were employed there a few years ago.
While I am writing this, talks are continuing tonight at the factory between trade unions and management representatives.

The company has already shed 195 (of its then 1400) jobs - mostly on a 'voluntary' basis - in March of this year. (see my entry of March 4th)

Meanwhile in Co. Mayo, Eurotel Marketing Ltd. has said that 80 workers will lose their jobs with the closure of a major call centre in Belmullet.

More Jobs to be lost in Waterford

More industrial jobs will soon be lost in Waterford City.

The workers at the well-known and long-established Waterford factory of the international electrical components company ABB learned this morning that the plant will be closed at the end of March 2010, with the loss of all 178 jobs.

The company, which manufactures distribution transformers for the construction and utility markets in Ireland and the UK, says that it is closing "because of significantly lower orders and lack of potential business".

ABB (Asia-Brown-Boveri) is a well-known and stable European firm, owned mainly by Swiss and Swedish investors.
At five different locations in Ireland the company employs currently more than 400 people.

The Waterford factory, which has been in operation since 1951, has always been seen as a key element to ABB's Irish business. With its closure next Spring, the long-term presence of the firm in Ireland looks doubtful.

It is quite likely that in the current world-wide recession the management will concentrate their efforts on their main countries of interest, which are Sweden, Switzerland and Germany.

The Emerald Islander

Bausch & Lomb seeks 195 Redundancies

Trade union representatives at Bausch & Lomb (photo) in Waterford have been told that the company seeks 195 redundancies, if possible on a voluntary basis.
Negotiations over severance packages will take place in the coming weeks.

The US-owned multinational company, which makes eye care products, employs currently 1400 people at its Waterford factory and is one of the main employers in Ireland's oldest city.

Despite the redundancies, the company has said it is "committed to continuing manufacturing in Waterford".

Most of the staff are currently working three weeks out of every four as part of short-time working arrangements.