The Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan has called on the Taoiseach to take personal charge of what he has described as "the mounting job crisis" and convene a meeting of the social partners to discuss a response.
"Yesterday was a black day for 1200 workers and their families on what was one of the worst days this year for job losses," Mr Noonan said during a visit to Carlow today.
One hundred workers at the Braun plant in Carlow were among almost 1,200 who were told they would be laid off across the country yesterday.
"There is a real fear among the public that the Government has lost control of the management of the economy and that company closures and job cuts are appearing without any warning," Mr Noonan said.
The Fine Gael leader called on the Mr Bertie Ahern to convene an immediate meeting of the social partners and provide information on the difficulties facing key sectors and companies so remedial action could be taken where possible.