FACTORY SIT-IN: WORKERS AT Waterford Crystal last night welcomed the news that trade union leaders and senior civil servants are hoping to organise a meeting today with receiver David Carson in a bid to get him to reverse his decision to close the troubled plant.
Unite secretary for Ireland Jimmy Kelly said David Begg of Ictu and secretary of the Department of the Taoiseach Dermot McCarthy are hoping to meet Mr Carson in Dublin today in a bid to get him to reverse his decision and keep the plant open.
Mr Kelly said the willingness of the Government to remain involved in the process was very encouraging and Unite, which represents more than 90 per cent of the workforce at Waterford Crystal, will call a mass meeting of all workers again tomorrow to brief them on developments.
But Mr Kelly was highly critical of the manner in which workers learned of the closure yesterday, accusing Mr Carson of failing to honour a commitment to unions that he would keep them informed of any decisions or developments.
Both Mr Kelly and Unite regional organiser Walter Cullen confirmed they only learned of the closure when they began getting texts from workers who had heard rumours the plant was to close. It was only when they contacted Mr Carson he confirmed the news.
Mr Cullen said: “I rang the receiver and said that there is a rumour going round that you are going to close the company, and he said yes, that’s correct. I reminded him that he was breaking his word, that he had given us a firm commitment that there would be no large-scale redundancies similar to what was imposed in Wedgwood and that if a decision was made to close the company, that he would meet with us to hold discussions because we have alternatives. What we need now is to re-establish the process and this decision has to be reversed.”
News that the plant was closing was greeted with anger by workers, with many already on a three-day week going to the visitors’ centre where they attempted to gain entry to the premises and occupy it. There was a brief scuffle with four security men who were on duty and it is understood one security man was knocked back against a glass panel in the main door which shattered. But calm was quickly restored and about 400 workers began to sit in at the factory.
Workers were last night briefed by union leaders and shop stewards on the latest developments. They decided to continue their occupation of the centre in order to maintain pressure for a resolution. Shop stewards worked out a rota system where upwards of 40 workers would continue to occupy the premises on eight-hour shifts.
Among those involved in the sit-ins were John Dooley from Woodlawn Grove and Danny Ryan from Ceannt Road, who both joined the company in 1962 and worked at the factory for 46 years each before being made redundant before Christmas. Mr Dooley said he had got paid the statutory portion of his €55,000 redundancy package but he was still due €30,000 from the company which was to be paid over 12 months.
“I was due to get €600 a week over 12 months but so far I’ve only got one payment of €480. €55,000 is small enough money for 46 years service and it would take small enough money from the Government to keep this place open at least until a new buyer can be found. We are going to stay here for the long haul. We have nothing to lose.”
