Waterford Crystal seeking 280 more job losses

BlaasForRafa

from http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1014/jobs.html

Saw this on the news just after the budget coverage. These job losses are in addition to the 400+ losses from earlier in the year.

In effect Waterford Crystal will cease manufacturing crystal in Waterford and move it abroad. All that will be left is a few workers to show off blowing and cutting to the American tourists and the tourist office/shop.

They might as well rename it Chinese Crystal or Czech Crystal or whatever because its sure as hell not Waterford Crystal any more :mad:

wellbutty

Yeah I work there! So many other small companies depend on the place as well...a terrible loss of what is an Irish institution...

Dum_Dum

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

from http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1014/jobs.html

Saw this on the news just after the budget coverage. These job losses are in addition to the 400+ losses from earlier in the year.

In effect Waterford Crystal will cease manufacturing crystal in Waterford and move it abroad. All that will be left is a few workers to show off blowing and cutting to the American tourists and the tourist office/shop.

They might as well rename it Chinese Crystal or Czech Crystal or whatever because its sure as hell not Waterford Crystal any more :mad:

Does this company have any R&D? Or does it exist to fleece Americans? Has it diversified into anything - optics / lenses or is it still making nic-niks for your granny's mantelpiece?


No doubt the world renowned "Waterford Crystal" marque will be sold off for a song and the blue collar workers dumped on the dole.

Not The Real Scarecrow

Sorry to here it, shame its going and even bigger shame to see more job losses.I hear Honeywellare laying off over 100 people, think they're handing out voluntary reduncies at the moment, probably only a matter of time before they're gone as well.

BlaasForRafa

wellbutty wrote: »

Yeah I work there! So many other small companies depend on the place as well...a terrible loss of what is an Irish institution...

I'm sorry to hear that boy. I think most people in town know someone who's worked in "de glass" over the years.

Waterford Crystal is something thats been part of Waterford in this guise since the 50's but Crystal has a history of several hundreds years here. Its not the biggest factory in town any more but its still a huge blow and its sort of a loss of pride to the city itself to see it go.

mike65

Meatwad wrote: »

.I hear Honeywellare laying off over 100 people, think they're handing out voluntary reduncies at the moment, probably only a matter of time before they're gone as well.

They got about 150 volunteers for the 100 pay-offs I think. They are not working Fridays and it looks like they will have all of December off.

As for the Glass, this has been coming ever since the initial diversification of manufacturing back in the early 90s.

Mike

Nolanger

I remember a decade ago WCrystal workers were visiting Eastern Europe to train the locals. What did they expect would eventually happen?

sundula

They should not allow them call any glass produced outside this state Waterford Crystal or any definition of that name.

deisemum

Waterford Crystal have just announced this morning that they're moving manufacturing out of Ireland and only keeping a few highly skilled staff on for the tourists.

mike65

Yep, from 3000+ jobs to what? 150-ish in 18 years.

Mike

Asmodean

It is a terrible shame. Going to be a big blow for the city both in terms of the declining state of local industry and our (once) proud heritage.

scout353

Hear they are rebranding everything to be just called Waterford - the crystal part is being dropped. Apparently management have been told by consultants that 80-90% of people don't know nor care that Waterford Crystal is made in Waterford so it doesn't really matter where it is made!

BlaasForRafa

scout353 wrote: »

Hear they are rebranding everything to be just called Waterford - the crystal part is being dropped. Apparently management have been told by consultants that 80-90% of people don't know nor care that Waterford Crystal is made in Waterford so it doesn't really matter where it is made!

Thats the management thats managed to drive the company in to the ground aye?

mike65

Waterford Crystal is a brand not a place. Joe Public does not think he is buying into some "mystical" vibe about a city on a far, misty isle he thinks he is buying into a name that is well regarded in its sphere of business. Thats it.

It is one of the great failures of WC that over 60 years they were never effective making a strong link between product and place.

Mike

ShoulderChip

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

Thats the management thats managed to drive the company in to the ground aye?

no clearly not, its by impartial outside consultants, but whatever...

BlaasForRafa

mike65 wrote: »

Waterford Crystal is a brand not a place. Joe Public does not think he is buying into some "mystical" vibe about a city on a far, misty isle he thinks he is buying into a name that is well regarded in its sphere of business. Thats it.

I know quite a few Irish-Americans who would differ in that opinion. But for anyone who dosen't have a link to I can see your point.

To me calling it Waterford Crystal and not making any of it here feels like a deception but I guess most people just don't give a f**k

gscully

mike65 wrote: »

Waterford Crystal is a brand not a place. Joe Public does not think he is buying into some "mystical" vibe about a city on a far, misty isle he thinks he is buying into a name that is well regarded in its sphere of business. Thats it.

It is one of the great failures of WC that over 60 years they were never effective making a strong link between product and place.

Mike

True...It's just us locals that have that pride in the name. Anytime I was over in the US, I would pass many a shop with great displays of Waterford Crystal. It was nice to see and nice to think that someone I know may have handled those pieces at some stage. It'll never mean anything anymore!

1966

Sad end to a long era for Waterford

Nolanger

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

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Saw this on the news just after the budget coverage.

The budget was also bad news because it deferred the decentralisation of over 200 jobs to Waterford.

http://www.budget.gov.ie/2009/downloads/AnnexFDecentralisation.pdf

amyloneill

any major airport i have ever been in has or had waterford crystal for sale in the duty free shop , i always kinda got a buzz and with a great sence pride in the place i called home many miles away that name ment something to at least one person in the airport!!! me ... lol

it would be a real pitty to see this trade die in waterford because glass making is up there with our Blaa in what makes Waterford Waterford