FORTY JOBS are to be lost at Tralee’s biggest surviving foreign-owned plant, Beru Electronics, according to Siptu, which represents the 200 workers at the car components manufacturing plant.
The union has called for an end to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the factory. This is a further blow to the Co Kerry town, which is also to see the closure of the German-owned Amann Industries with the loss of more than 300 jobs.
Unemployment figures in Tralee are at a record 6,200 already and there have been calls for radical measures, including direct electricity and cost subsidies, to keep manufacturing in the town.
Workers at Beru were called to a meeting with management at the factory, which is also German-owned, yesterday afternoon. It was their second such meeting this week with management. Monday’s meeting proved inconclusive and further clarification was sought from the parent company.
The employees were asked not to speak to the media and they remained tight-lipped leaving the factory yesterday.
No redundancies were announced yesterday. A statement from the company is expected in the next few days; it is not clear why the jobs are being lost.
There had been fears that the Tralee plant would lose most of its jobs to a sister plant in Ludwigsburg. However, Ted Kenny, assistant branch organiser with Siptu, who was at the factory gates yesterday along with a large media presence, said workers were told the factory was to remain open and the company was looking for other work to increase volume levels.
He said the feeling among the workforce was one of frustration. He criticised the lack of information given to employees.
“They are not getting the information they require,” Mr Kenny added.
“They are looking for job security, which they don’t have at the moment. It’s a matter of urgency they are told what is happening but they are not being given information and this is increasing their worry and frustration.”
Most of the production at the plant is manufacturing glow plugs and two of these lines are to be moved to Germany, according to Mr Kenny.
Speculation increased last week about the future of the plant, which is already implementing a number of cost-cutting measures, including short-time and about 20 redundancies.
Siptu has said manufacturing has virtually collapsed in the north Kerry region and it has called for immediate intervention on electricity costs and special rates for industry to safeguard jobs.
Jobs became one of the central issues of the recent local elections campaign and were felt to have been a significant factor in the poll-topping performance of Arthur Spring, Dick Spring’s nephew, on his first attempt to be elected to at both Tralee and Kerry County Councils.
The new councillor had given priority to job-creation ideas in the wind energy sector in his campaign.