The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Manufacturing Manufacture Of Rubber And Plastic Products And Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products Manufacture Of Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products 23 - Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products
European Globalisation Fund (EGF)
Year: 2009, Case number: 12
New offshoring locations
European Union
280 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
16 October 2008
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date
Description
Waterford Crystal announced in October 2008 that it plans to dismiss another 280 people (following the announcement of 490 redundancies earlier in 2008), which, if it goes ahead, would mean the end of large-scale manufacturing at the famous crystal manufacturing plant. Most production would be relocated overseas to central and eastern Europe, where costs are lower. The company told workers it would continue to make some hand-crafted crystal products in Waterford, and would also keep its tourist trail. But this would leave just 70 production staff in the plant, mainly making luxury hand-crafted crystal goods for the on-site visitor centre and tourist trail. A total of just over 200 employees would remain, including sales and marketing, maintenance and administrative staff. This compares with a high of 3,300 in the 1970’s.
The company and the Unite trade union were to engage in negotiations on management proposals. Group chief financial officer, Anthony Jones, said it had become clear that maintaining manufacturing operations in Ireland at their current level was “not feasible” for Waterford Crystal. A timescale for winding-down manufacturing has not yet been finalised and will depend on how negotiations progress between management and the union.
Background information on the job cuts at Waterford Crystal is available on the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO).
Sources
17 October 2008: The Irish Examiner
Citation
Eurofound (2008), Waterford Crystal, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Ireland, factsheet number 67254, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/67254.
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