Firms count the cost of impending war

EMPLOYERS who are heavily dependent on the US market are already counting the cost of the threat of war on Iraq before battle begins.

One of the country's leading firms, Waterford Wedgwood, said yesterday that it couldn't rule out a return to short-term working for its 1,600 staff.

Waterford Wedgwood group chief executive, Redmond O'Donoghue, said the threat of war on Iraq could force it to return to short-term working maybe even shut down one or two days a week.