Type
Offshoring/Delocalisation
Country
Austria
Region
Westösterreich; Tirol; Tiroler Unterland
Location of affected unit(s)
Wattens
Sector
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
New offshoring locations
India, China

800 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
20 May 2010
Employment effect (start)
1 January 2011
Foreseen end date
31 December 2014

Description

On 20 May 2010, the Tyrol-based glassware and jewellery maker Swarovski announced that it will cut 800 jobs within the next four years at its headquarters in Wattens.

The family-run business that operates the brands Swarovski Crystal Business, Tyrolit, Swareflex and Swarovski Optik, plans to cut 200 jobs annually from 2011 to 2014. The company has assured that the redundancies will take the form of natural attrition only. In order to keep its position as market leader against competitive pressure from Egypt and China, Swarovski is partially relocating its production to Eastern Europe, where a new production site will be built, and India and China, where existing ones will be enlarged. The head office will remain in Wattens, where the whole process of relocating will be steered and controlled from. Investments of EUR 100 million are planned there.

The company has already made 1,700 jobs redundant in Wattens within the last two years and is currently employing 5,000 staff at the site. The Tyrolean branch of the Austrian Trade Union Federation is criticising the company's plans for their effects on the local labour market and promised to monitor closely whether the company keeps its promise of refraining from direct dismissals.

In 2009, Swarovski's turnover dropped by 11 percent, thereby making restructuring measures necessary claims the company. Swarovski currently employs 25,000 staff members in 120 countries.


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2010), Swarovski, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Austria, factsheet number 70576, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/70576.