Bausch + Lomb workers to vote on downsize plan

More than 1,100 workers at the southeast’s largest private sector employer are expected to vote early next week on a series of cuts which would see almost 200 of their number losing their jobs.

Staff from Bausch + Lomb in Waterford were briefed last night on a “modified” set of proposals by management who want to implement tough cost-cutting measures which the company says are necessary to save the plant.

Bosses still want to shed nearly 200 jobs but have agreed to reduce pay cuts from 20% to 7.5%, although staff members said the 7.5% cut was to core pay and when other cuts, such as the loss of bonus payments, are taken into account, almost 15% will be shaved from annual pay-packets.

A vote on the package presented by management, believed to be their final offer, is likely to be taken on Sunday and Monday.

Talks between unions and management and chaired by the Labour Relations Commission broke down without reaching agreement yesterday morning.

The negotiations started 11 days ago following the shock announcement the previous week that management wanted to cut 200 jobs and implement pay cuts of 20% for the rest of the staff.

According to Bausch + Lomb’s American bosses, the €20m cuts were necessary to keep the Waterford plant open as payroll costs were running at 30% higher than in the company’s facility in New York.

The company’s position includes:

- 200 redundancies;

- 7.5% pay cut;

- Annual bonuses “bought-out” with payments over two years, then gone;

- Extra working hour per week;

- Paid sick leave down from 10 to three weeks;

- Two-year pay freeze;

- Redundancy terms totalling six weeks’ per year of service, capped at 2.25 years’ pay;

-‘Buy-out’ of the pay cuts, with employees receiving net one-off payments of what they will lose from their gross salary in two years.

Bausch + Lomb’s offer is understood to be a “final” proposal, with no further concessions likely, although they have committed to maintaining and growing their Waterford facility if a deal is accepted by union members.

Most employees approached by the media after last night’s meeting declined to comment on the latest events.

However, one worker said: “People are in shock. It amounts to a 15% cut to our wages. Everything that the unions have fought for over the last 20, 30-odd years here, just seem to be renegotiated.”

Referring to the fact that the government knew about the looming cuts at Bausch + Lomb for months, he said “the government are up to their necks in it as well”.

Meanwhile, software firm SmartBear confirmed it is to create up to 100 jobs over the next five years at its European headquarters in Galway.

In Dublin, more than 90 jobs were created with the opening of a new TK Maxx store in the Ilac centre on Henry St.