Month: February 2009

by Kevin McLoughlin

WATERFORD CRYSTAL: Specially hired security individually delivered letters saying that from the following Monday there was no need to report for work, as the world-renowned Waterford Crystal factory would be closed!

Shocked but bitterly angry that the receiver had decided to end production, workers at Waterford Crystal made their way to the Visitors Centre. There, more hired security blocked their way, apparently some claiming to have baseball bats. If they thought such intimidation would crush the workers’ anger, they were sorely mistaken. Hundreds of workers brushed the heavies aside. So began the occupation at the Waterford Crystal on Friday 30 January.

By James Mc Cabe

UCD PRESIDENT, Hugh Brady is proposing a series of cost-cutting measures such as pay-freezes and voluntary redundancies for staff. This tactic is typical of Brady’s neo-liberal agenda, which has seen dramatic library cutbacks and the introduction of student health service charges in the past couple of years. Meanwhile he and his vice presidents earn salaries of over ?200,000.

A MONTH after announcing 1,900 redundancies in Limerick, Dell has been forced to make important concessions to workers. Workers have succeeded in forcing the company to provide a better redundancy package, increasing the cap from 52 to 104 weeks pay and improving the pay rates in the package, which previously covered only basic pay.

"I HAVE to sign at my local dole office once a month.Having lost my job at the start of September, I eventually got to sign on in November.