The Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, will today hold a series of meetings with workers in the three Fruit of the Loom plants in Buncrana, Milford and Raphoe amid fears that up to 800 jobs are under threat in the company's Inishowen factories.
Ms Harney said yesterday that she had been "extremely concerned for the future of jobs in Fruit of the Loom for some time".
The US-owned company, which employs 2,500 people in Co Donegal, is undergoing a widespread review of its European operations and its chief executive, Mr Bill Farley, is expected to visit the Donegal operations next Monday. Yesterday Ms Harney met local elected representatives and trades union officials, as well as members of the Buncrana Area Enterprise Initiative and representatives of IBEC. The Tanaiste also set up a Donegalwide enterprise initiative which will be chaired by the county manager, with the input of the social partners.
This is intended to be a short term fire-brigade measure, but also a means to look at the longer term and at the infrastructural problems in Donegal, which may be stopping some industries from locating there.
The Minister said she had raised fears about Fruit of the Loom with President Clinton last Friday and with Mr William Daley, the US Secretary of Commerce. "I have been extremely concerned for the future of jobs in Fruit of the Loom for some time. For that reason I have had four meetings with Bill Farley over the past year and another set for next week.
"While the company has given guarantees about maintaining jobs until the end of this year, there are justifiable concerns about job losses after that due to competitive pressures in the industry," the Minister said. Ms Harney who is accompanied by Mr Kieran McGowan, chief executive of the IDA, and senior officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, will also meet Mr Felix Sulzberger and Mr Henry Rauzi from the company's European headquarters, for talks later today.
Ms Harney told the various delegations during yesterday's meetings that in the event of job losses, everything would be done to seek replacement jobs and businesses. "Given a positive attitude on the part of the community and its leaders in the face of adversity, Donegal can press its case strongly for further investment," she said. The Tanaiste also said that a lasting and strengthened democracy in Northern Ireland could bring huge benefits to Donegal and the southern Border counties and it was vital that a return to violence was not contemplated.
