Waterford Crystal workers support Clarion bid

Workers at Waterford Crystal are supporting a bid for the company made by Clarion Capital.

The American private-equity firm is one of two US-based consortiums that have tabled offers for the troubled company.

Clarion’s bid could retain around 300 jobs at the Waterford Crystal plant in Kilbarry, while the other bidder - KPS Capital Partners - is apparently only interested in buying the brand name.

Workers at the Kilbarry plant have been staging a sit-in protest since the administrator overseeing the company announced the halting of manufacturing operations on Friday.

Their union representative, Walter Cullen from Unite, says the workers are happy to discuss the Clarion bid and believe the Government should nationalise Waterford Crystal rather than let the KPS bid be accepted.