Dell ex-staff to be briefed on training and support

FORMER EMPLOYEES of the Dell computer plant in Limerick and of enterprises affected by its closure are to be contacted in the next two weeks by Fás with details of retraining and other back-to-work supports, the Minister of State for Labour Affairs has said.

Dara Calleary made the announcement yesterday on the first anniversary of the computer giant’s announcement that it would close its plant at Raheen, Co Limerick with the loss of almost 2,000 jobs. It is transferring operations to Lodz, Poland.

He was giving details of how some €22.8 million, approved by the EU budgetary authorities for retraining and other supports for former workers affected by the closure, would be spent.

Dell was Limerick’s biggest employer, and since the news last January hundreds of further jobs have been lost in ancillary enterprises such as Flextronics and RR Donnelly, formerly Banta Global Turnkey. RR Donnelly closed its Raheen plant in February with the loss of more than 400 jobs.

The Government applied for funding under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in July. It was approved in November. Some €14.8 million is coming from the EU, with €8 million from the Government.

The EGF was started in 2007 and is a Europe-wide funding resource to provide intervention support to workers affected by the process of globalisation, particularly in the manufacturing sector, where many jobs are being transferred to low-wage economies.

There was criticism yesterday of the Minister and his colleague, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan, from former Dell workers who said there was little information on accessing support schemes.

Denis Ryan, chairman of the Dell Workers’ Representative Association, said that although funds had been granted only recently, clear structures for their distribution should have been set up in the months following Ireland’s application to the EGF fund in July. “We had two discussions with the department and with Fás. There’s a steering committee set up but they are very slow approaching us.”

Mr Calleary rejected assertions that little had been done for former employees in the interim.

“Much good work has already been done on the ground since January by agencies such as Fás, Enterprise Ireland, county and city enterprise boards, the local VECs and third-level institutions in Limerick and the region.

“All eligible participants will be contacted over the next two weeks with reference to the programmes and services on offer. Details of all educational courses will be available through colleges and the Tús Nua website,” he said.

www.tusnua.ie