‘There are so many jobs going — it’s very hard’

TYCO staff knew their jobs were on the line — but few arriving for yesterday’s briefing were aware of the bombshell that was about to be dropped.

There had been talk of 200 job losses since last month’s review was confirmed. But staff were shocked when told 320 of the total 340-strong workforce will lose their jobs in the next 12 months.

Most of the cars leaving the Bishopstown facility after the briefing were family cars — cars with baby seats, driven by young parents with mortgages and other financial commitments.

Hazel Dorney, a mother of three, has worked for Tyco for almost a decade. Her husband joined the firm three years ago.

“The management are great, they were very helpful. Myself and my husband work there so it’s going to be hard. But I don’t mind where I work, once I can,” she said.

Colleague Katherine Crawford said although an announcement was expected, it was still a shock when it came. “I’m there about 13 years and it is a fierce shock when it comes,” she said.

Another worker Margaret Barrett said: “I’m there almost 11 years and it was a nice place to work because of your friends and the way we were treated. We are all very sad to see it go. A lot of us here have kids and, to be honest, it is our kids’ future that we are really looking to. There are so many jobs going every day — I think it is very, very hard for everybody out there. Some of us are lucky that we have partners working — but there are some people inside there who have two people working in the same plant and that’s when it is very sad.”

One man who has worked there for three years said staff were glad they had at last been told.

Another woman who lost her job in Dublin in the early 1980s said she was confident of getting work elsewhere.

“It’s never easy being made redundant. It’s still a shock but hopefully I’ll get something else.”

A man in his 30s who walked from the plant, shrugged his shoulders and said: “Well that’s life today, isn’t it.”

The Tyco plant is located just across the road from the regional FÁS campus — a State agency which will be working with staff in the coming months on re-skilling or re-deployment options.

The IDA offices, another State agency which will be involved in the coming months to find replacement industries, are also located nearby.