Factory closure spells emigration for many staff
The American-owned company is to cease production in Caherciveen, at the end of this month, with the loss of 147 jobs, and 98 employees at its Tralee plant have been placed on protective notice.
One of the Caherciveen workers, Paudie O'Shea, who has been employed there for 10 years, said the only option that looked open to him was emigration as there were so few employment opportunities in the area.
“I believe that any person who doesn't have many ties in the area will have to leave to find work,” he said.
A colleague, Hugh Horgan, pointed out that other factories had also closed in the area, but no new jobs were being created.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue, who lives in Caherciveen, and Tanaiste and Enterprise Minister Mary Harney are meeting senior executives of State agencies next week in a bid to find an alternative employer.
Mr O'Donoghue and Ms Harney have already discussed the situation and FAS, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland will now be involved. There have been calls locally for the setting up of a task force in an effort to get new into the area.
Company general manager Stephen Barter said the company could not sustain ongoing losses caused by increased costs and market difficulties. Discussions have started with the employees, who are not trade union members, on redundancy settlements.
The latest job losses follow what has been described by SIPTU in Kerry as a tough 18 months, with many other companies also forced to let staff go.
“There's a major downturn in industrial jobs in Kerry and there's nothing new on the horizon,” said SIPTU.
Caherciveen, where Sport Socks was the single biggest employer, is one of the hardest hit areas in the county.
Six empty buildings at the Caherciveen industrial estate provide grim evidence of the area’s industrial decline.
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