‘People are angry and feel left down’

Neans McSweeney, Dungarvan

The 7-year-old father-of-one left school early to do an apprenticeship with the crystal company.

He was the envy of his neighbours in Avondale, Waterford city, such was the prestige of the job he had landed.

“I’ve given nearly 19 years to Waterford Crystal. I went there straight out of school.

“I’m a glass blower, that’s my trade. I can’t do anything else. I’ve never done anything else. I really don’t know how I’m going to survive now.

“We knew that something was going to happen today and that there would be job cuts. But nobody expected anything on the scale of what has happened. We were led to believe that they would rebuild the furnace, which needed changing here in Dungarvan.

“People are very angry, and feel very left down. Every time the company has been in trouble, we are the ones who have given that extra bit and have taken pay cuts.

“It seems that the answer when times get tough though is to let the workers have it in the neck.

“They’re still working out the redundancy terms. But two years’ wages will be no good to me. It won’t last long.

“I’m 37 and have never done anything else. There aren’t too many jobs out there today I’d say for a glass blower.

“The only thing we can do now is make the most of the few weeks’ work that we have, try and ride out the storm. But it’s a very tough day for people. There are staff here with husbands and wives in the company. There are entire families who will be out of work by the end of the summer.”

Mother-of-one Bridget Mulcahy also left the meeting early. “Everyone is pure disgusted with what has happened here. I’ve been with the company on and off for 23 years. We’re very angry at the way we’ve been treated.”

David O’Riordan, 44, was equally furious. He was highly critical of management at the plant, leaving staff in the dark until the eleventh hour, expecting everything but giving nothing in return.