Waterford, Kerry suffer jobs blows

THE final blow to the troubled Sports Socks operation, which once employed 266 people in Co Kerry, was delivered, yesterday, when the company announced it is to end manufacturing in Ireland.

The decision means the loss of 112 permanent jobs in Caherciveen and Tralee.

Eight employees will be retained on administration and customer service.

Last August, serious difficulties facing the company were signalled, with the announcement that 147 jobs were to go, in September, in Caherciveen.

The remaining 21 workers in Caherciveen and 98 in Tralee were put on immediate protective notice, with no guarantees about their future with the company. For that reason, yesterday’s news, while devastating for the workers and the towns concerned, came as no major surprise.

The company cited manufacturing costs as a reason for its decision. The phased ceasing of production will commence in early March and is expected to be completed by the end of July.

Selection and timing of redundancies will be based on operational needs, with voluntary redundancies to be sought first. It is expected that 53 contract workers in Caherciveen will cease employment in April. Sports Socks general manager Stephen Barter said the company regretted the decision and acknowledged the contribution of the workers.

The company is due to meet the representatives of the non-unionised workforce today and has promised to fulfil its severance obligations to them.

Sports Socks was the biggest employer in Caherciveen and the local development organisation, ACARD, last night called for a major drive to promote new sources of employment in the area.

Originally known as Wilson Sport Socks, the American company was established in Caherciveen in 1989 and was taken over by a Missouri-based company, Kellwood, in 2002. It was later acquired by an Israeli company.

And in Waterford, Honeywell, who employ 800, announced 82 redundancies at its Garrett business as part of a plan to maintain its competitiveness and secure the plant’s future.

Yesterday, Honeywell told its employees at Garrett in Waterford, that in a drive to maintain competitiveness and secure the plant’s future, it plans to automate certain manufacturing processes to reduce variability.

This will result in a total of 82 redundancies, which will take effect during 2004.