No festive joy in town as 160 jobs go in plant shut-down

THERE will be little Christmas cheer for workers at an American-owned electronics plant following the announcement that it is to close with the loss of 160 jobs.

Employees at the Artesyn Technologies plant in Youghal, Co Cork, were yesterday trying to come to terms with the prospect of joining an ever-lengthening dole queue in a region which is reeling from the recent loss of a number of major industries, including IFI and Youghal Carpets.

The factory, which was first opened 22 years ago, succumbed to what management described as a global downturn in the Telecoms market.