So the new year jobs slaughter begins:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0105/breaking5.htm

Well if it goes completely - and its about 90% sure according some of my mates who still work there - thats 800 jobs gone in the South East directly - probably 2000+or so when the indirects are factored in.

Now with Dells announcement only days away............................

Could the last person leaving the country please turn out the lights.

All of this is very predicatable from years back. The kind of craft product Waterford Wedgewood sells has been wiped out by mass production in cheaper countries and by changed tastes of buyers.

I had a lot of criticisms of what W'd management was doing over the years but I'm not sure the business was sustainable in any way.

Baccarat I think is hanging in by the skin of their teeth, but most others have gone.

Dell is different, clearly. We didn't produce the people from 2002 and overheads were pushed through the roof.

Unite is looking for a meeting with WW management. Is that not a bit late?

Losing the Waterford Glass brand name would not be good. Is there any future for cutting and blowing glass in Ireland ? There are a lot of skills and there is plant and equipment, although I think some of it is at the end of its life.

Would it help to get all glass-heads around table to see if the skills and assets that are there, as well as the brand name, can be put to use here in future?

Quote :

The UNITE trade union is seeking an urgent meeting with management at Waterford Wedgewood following the announcement that the troubled company has gone into receivership.

Some of the group's Irish and UK subsidiaries will also be placed into administration.

The luxury goods firm, which employs 800 people in Ireland, says exhaustive efforts had been made to restructure the business and it remains optimistic that a buyer can be found.

UNITE regional secretary Jimmy Kelly says the news is devastating for the local area and every effort must be made to save jobs.

The major problem with Waterford is price. Went looking for something fancy for the mother for Chrimbo a month ago and ONE GLASS was 60 yoyos. I rest my case.

expat girl wrote:

The major problem with Waterford is price. Went looking for something fancy for the mother for Chrimbo a month ago and ONE GLASS was 60 yoyos. I rest my case.

Design is a problem too - a lot of it is still outdated and ugly.

Sixty for a glass ... ? Mama Mia. I've bought a bit here and there for presents for people because it's got some class and found that the John Rocca range at one time was fairly well priced.

Was I hallucinating ? Did John Rocca, the guitar-case carrying, native-American Indian wanderer of the streets of Dublin, really design a fairly chape Waterford Crystal range at one stage ?

Auditor #9 wrote:

Sixty for a glass ... ? Mama Mia. I've bought a bit here and there for presents for people because it's got some class and found that the John Rocca range at one time was fairly well priced.

Was I hallucinating ? Did John Rocca, the guitar-case carrying, native-American Indian wanderer of the streets of Dublin, really design a fairly chape Waterford Crystal range at one stage ?

This one?

That looks familiar cactus but I think it was this below with the little squares. Can't remember what the damage was for two glasses and an ashtray now.

And this is the Man ?

Another day and another famous name in trouble

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0106/breaking14.htm


Hope the unions decide to do the right thing here.

This will be this years mantra - "pay-cuts or Job cuts - your choice"

We're all going to have to get used to living on less - until we rebuild our economy in a sustainable way and our standard of living is in sync with our productivity.

Edo wrote:

Another day and another famous name in trouble

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0106/breaking14.htm


Hope the unions decide to do the right thing here.

This will be this years mantra - "pay-cuts or Job cuts - your choice"

We're all going to have to get used to living on less - until we rebuild our economy in a sustainable way and our standard of living is in sync with our productivity.

Perhaps wage cuts now in exchange for shares in the business, so the workers can share the benefit in any future upturn, might be the thing to do.

I see that the Government is now meeting to discuss job losses at Dell.
Not a moment too late.