Grim reminder of past closures

The former Atari, Wang and AST factory on the Raheen Industrial Estate is a grim reminder of how foreign companies come and go.

The factory, the first to be used by Dell when it set up in Limerick, has again become redundant as a manufacturing space and is now used for administration and meeting purposes.

Yesterday, Mr Nicky Hartery, senior vice-president, European manufacturing, assembled staff and told them news of the company's redundancy plans, saying it would bring productivity costs down to minimum levels.

"Too many chiefs, not enough Indians," was how one employee put it. Workers were told there was a manager for every 16 people, about double the ratio of the industry norm. About 1,300 administration staff in Limerick are affected by the redundancy programme, according to their own estimate, with every office grade being culled to some degree.

It means, as one software engineer put it, that one in 6.5 people will go, either voluntarily, or through forced redundancy if 200 people do not step forward. But they were told the package would not be as attractive in that case.

Yesterday workers on cigarette breaks outside the building considered their options. "It would be nice to take it and have a job lined up," one said.

But for those with just one or two years service, the package is not hugely attractive although youth is on their side. Six weeks is being offered for each year of service. "It gave me something to think about," one worker said. "My head is boggled for the last couple of hours. I have not done a tap."