Closure of plant delayed by four weeks

CLOSE to 400 workers who were to lose their jobs next month have been given an 11th-hour reprieve.

Waterford Crystal is to announce early next week that the closure of its Dungarvan plant has been delayed until the end of October. It was due to close at the end of September, with the loss of all 390 jobs.

But a source in the company said it has been decided to keep the plant open for an extra four weeks.

“There has been no official comment from the company on this yet but they are to announce that the closing date has been extended for four weeks,” the source said.

“The reason is that they want to complete the production process - in other words, fill an order.”

Local Fine Gael TD John Deasy said: “Dungarvan needs a new industry and that requires weight at the Cabinet table. From what I can see, there is neither the inclination nor the willingness to deal with it at this level.”

A redundancy deal has been set at six weeks per year worked with a limit of three years’ total pay for long-serving staff.

Negotiations with staff members of the sports and social club and the owners of a building on the Dungarvan site are ongoing. The company wants to sell the land but club members say they should be entitled to a cut after paying into the fund for years.

ATGWU general secretary Mick O’Reilly said: “We are calling for the Dungarvan plant to be purchased by the Inter Agency Forum and for the site to be rezoned by the county council.

“The Government should immediately establish a fund to explore alternative employment in Dungarvan and the county,” he added.

A Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment spokesperson said an agency has been set up to examine developments for Dungarvan. “This group will be making recommendations to Government. The IDA is also actively seeking an alternative employer for the area,” the spokesperson said.