Cost-cutting proposals ‘disgraceful’, say workers

WATERFORD CRYSTAL workers say the company’s proposed cost-cutting package is “disgraceful” and insist none of the plans been agreed with the staff.

Union bosses yesterday accused management of resorting to "sound bites" when saying up to half of Waterford Crystal products were made at almost a third of the price in other eurozone countries where the company has plants.

The proposed cost cuts will be discussed and there is a long way to go before anything is signed off, union bosses said. They also said it does not follow that just because there is restructuring there has to be a pay freeze.

Everyone wanted to see the plants at Waterford city and Dungarvan succeed but workers also had to be protected, said Seán Kelly, district organiser of the ATGWU.

"We want to protect the jobs of our members and the income of our members," Mr Kelly said.

"A lot of the discussions which have taken place have been in the form of the old salami technique a slice at a time. It's taken some time for the company to put together their proposals. They have been doing this for the past four to five months. It was this morning that they unfolded these proposals.

"We differ on a lot of matters. Inflation is on the way down. The US economy is predicted to upturn and we are only looking at a snapshot at a particular time. These economies recover. And what has been tabled by the company this morning is a set of remedies to address a particular problem at a particular point in time.

"We will come to an agreement. We will get the information, bring it back to our members and where necessary reshape and redesign what they have proposed. What they have proposed is not cast in stone, by any means. As far as we are concerned, everything is negotiable.

"This proposal is only three hours old. We have a full complement of shop stewards who will now begin to peruse this document, blow by blow," Mr Kelly said.

And while the company says it is confident enough people will come forward and take voluntary redundancy, the union says it remains to be seen what will be on offer. "The history of redundancy in this country shows that if you put a big enough bag of money on the table, you will get enough takers," Mr Kelly said.

Chief shop steward Jimmy Kelly described the announcement as a disgrace.

"The announcement which proposes to reduce the numbers of jobs is a disgrace and it follows on from an agreement that we reached in 2002. The AGM of this company on July 31 will announce profits for this company. It is the workers who helped make those profits.

"It's a disgrace that this proposal suggests losing jobs. Thankfully, we are organised into a union which means that these will remain proposals until the workforce comes to an agreement with the company. We have done all of what has been asked of us over the past 10 years. We're in a position now where everyone is wondering if their future is okay or exactly what is behind the proposals."

An employee at the plant for 20 years, Robert Zimmerman said the job losses were expected as the rumour mill had been working overtime for the past couple of months.

"The mood among the workers is sombre but it's felt that no more jobs will be lost. At the end of the day it's all about profit ," he said.

He added that management and employees needed to build up communication so that trust can be developed over any future announcements by the company.