1,800 jobs to go at Waterford Crystal

**green goblin** · 04/05/2005, 1:13 PM

From the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4512343.stm

The Dungarvan plant is to shut altogether.

**Troy.McClure** · 04/05/2005, 3:32 PM

"The cuts include 485 posts at the Waterford Crystal plant in Dungarvan, Ireland, which is to close"

Bad news for all involved, its a very harsh blow for the area, but this is a European cut back.

Under EU law, if you make a food or drink and market it by its area of origion (like Edam cheese) it MUST be from that area (ie you cant make Edam cheese in Ireland because Edam is in Holland (AFIK)). So does that mean that Waterford crystal is now gone for good if the plant closes down?

I'll leave it for other people to comment about Reynolds.

**Dawn_Run** · 04/05/2005, 4:21 PM

They are just down sizing operations. Re-structuring. The main plant is still operational in the city. Its all in a bid to compete with low cost manufacturing in Asia. This was on the cards for a while i reckon. Company hasnt been doing well at all in recent years.

**Troy.McClure** · 04/05/2005, 4:34 PM

They are talking about it now on The Last Word. They are going on about poor managment and marketing. Great quote from one of the workers on the news "We were told it was a sales problem. If they could get people to sell it who were as good as those who make it, there would be no problem" I think that the appeal of crystal and china has fell hugely in the last 15 years though, Im not sure if it can be recovered.

**pete** · 04/05/2005, 9:21 PM

I haven't even read the news stories but Waterford Crystal have done this before, piad workers redundency only to re-hire them when the good times were back. I think Cork, Galway, Dublin Crystal all started with former Waterford Crystal workers redundency cheques.

Their main market has always been the US were i'm sure the current & projected future weakness of the dollar is killing revenues.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 04/05/2005, 10:32 PM

If 1,800 jobs are to go that would mean the whole Irish operation shutting down. According to RTE it is only 485 jobs for now

**Risteard** · 04/05/2005, 10:44 PM

Did Waterford Crystal sell its soul to Wedgewood years ago and now the county is paying the price or is Wedgewood the same company?
As in not a parent company?

**Superhoops** · 04/05/2005, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by Dawn_Run

...... Its all in a bid to compete with low cost manufacturing in Asia. This was on the cards for a while i reckon. Company hasnt been doing well at all in recent years.

It is like many manufacturing industries in Ireland that compete in the world market, high labour costs and low productivity has made them uncompetitive. Bitten by the Celtic tiger!

**A face** · 04/05/2005, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by Troy.McClure

Under EU law, if you make a food or drink and market it by its area of origion (like Edam cheese) it MUST be from that area (ie you cant make Edam cheese in Ireland because Edam is in Holland (AFIK)). So does that mean that Waterford crystal is now gone for good if the plant closes down?

But that has never stopped companies make the product else where, shipping it to Euro country and taking it out of a box, putting a stick on it, pask it again ..... and stick a "Made in Ireland" (or where ever) sticker on it.

Lads ... 1800 ... come off the stage ffs, its 400 job which could turn out to be 500 (100+ from support businesses, i.e. the shop near the factory etc.)

1800 is going way over the top !!

**�anna** · 04/05/2005, 11:15 PM

"you're not blowing anymore"

**noby** · 05/05/2005, 7:17 AM

Originally Posted by A face

Lads ... 1800 ... come off the stage ffs, its 400 job which could turn out to be 500 (100+ from support businesses, i.e. the shop near the factory etc.)

1800 is going way over the top !!

1800 worldwide, face. But, 400 for the size of Dungarvan is a lot.

Alot of it's getting made in eastern Europe now.