We knew nothing about it, say newlyweds

NEWLYWEDS Teresa and James Ferris never thought that a month into wedded bliss they’d be cast out into the jobs market.

They held hands as they emerged from the early morning shift at the Braun plant in Carlow just before 3pm yesterday, their heads bowed.

In their other hand, each held a letter they’d been given indicating they would shortly be losing their jobs.

“I suppose we’re lucky in one way,” 19-year-old Teresa said as she stood by her 23-year-old husband.

They were still revelling in wedded bliss after a small family wedding at the end of July. “We’ve no mortgage and no children, unlike a lot of people here.

“We’ve a car alright, a 1999 car, and we’ve to make payments on that. We can sell it, I suppose, if we really have to,” she said.

Teresa went straight into work after her Leaving Cert in 2000. James was just four months off being made permanent at the plant.

Both worked on the factory line which is being switched to Hungary.

Both earned just over 300 each per week, after tax.

Now, the Carlow town native and his Bagenalstown bride are facing the prospect of having to move out of their rented flat in Bagenalstown in Carlow to somewhere where they have hope of finding a replacement job.

“What can you say? There’s nothing really any of us can say. We knew nothing about this. There was a lot of talk alright but nobody thought it would be this bad,” James said.

One of those heading into the plant for the afternoon shift was 33-year-old Brendan Nolan.

“Myself and the wife and our three-year-old son only moved into our new house on Friday night. I knew nothing about these cuts at all.

“I was at home this morning and found out from one of the lads on the phone. I presume one of the letters is waiting for me when I go in. I’m here eight years so maybe I’ll be spared this time round. But none of us really knows.

“We could be putting our new house on the market next week.”

Others spoke of the feeling of disappointment and gloom in the plant all morning.

“We didn’t even stop for our lunch. We just kept working away. We’d only be thinking about it if we did stop.

“I’m here 20 years and we’ve got a lot from the factory. They have been very good to us over the years.

“We were owned by a German company but the Americans took over about three years ago. A lot changed when they took over,” the woman, who didn’t want to give her name, said.