MARTIN Naughton and Lochlann Quinn must be looking at unfortunate recent events at Moulinex with some wry amusement. After all, Glen Dimplex was beaten to Moulinex by another investor group largely because local unions felt that the Irish would cut a swathe through Moulinex's incredibly restrictive working practices.

Now it has emerged that the chief executive installed just two years ago has been sacked after a truly dismal set of results made worse by, you've guessed it, strikes at some of the main plants in Normandy.