Did you spill my pint? Bulmers factory workers to meet tomorrow

[Oppenheimer]

Workers at the Bulmers factory in Co Tipperary have been called to a meeting with management in the morning.

The 400 strong workforce will be briefed on the future of the Clonmel plant.

It is getting to the stage where I am starting to wonder how many businesses that are obviously selling product in reasonable volumes are using the recession as an excuse to cut jobs rather than it being a business decision. Hopefully I am proved wrong by this and the meeting will be just to calm workers but recent activities don't give much hope.

[Clanrickard]

It is getting to the stage where I am starting to wonder how many businesses that are obviously selling product in reasonable volumes are using the recession as an excuse to cut jobs rather than it being a business decision. Hopefully I am proved wrong by this and the meeting will be just to calm workers but recent activities don't give much hope.

Nail on head mate. Many businesses see this crisis as an opportunity to do the things they've long wanted to do, notably cutting the head count.

[Oppenheimer]

Nail on head mate. Many businesses see this crisis as an opportunity to do the things they've long wanted to do, notably cutting the head count.

Unfortunately there is no real solution for it (that I can think of) but it is something that should be highlighted in the press, as a "we know what your up to" comment to those that do practice in this way.

[kmk]

Nail on head mate. Many businesses see this crisis as an opportunity to do the things they've long wanted to do, notably cutting the head count.

I have been muttering this for weeks.... considering that a large chunk of redundancy is paid by gvt... companies should have to prove that they really need these redundancies.... and there is no other way out as apposed to just trimming back the fat......

[well_known_grouse]

It is getting to the stage where I am starting to wonder how many businesses that are obviously selling product in reasonable volumes are using the recession as an excuse to cut jobs rather than it being a business decision. Hopefully I am proved wrong by this and the meeting will be just to calm workers but recent activities don't give much hope.

C&C has been badly run for years by the now departed Maurice Pratt. They upped the capacity at the Clonmel plant based on one good Summer in the UK Sold off some profitable subsidiaries to focus on Bulmers
C&C Executives are some of the highest paid in this country ...lets see what happens

[Gimpanzee]

that are obviously selling product in reasonable volumes

That assumption mightn't hold up. Take a look at this

c&c cider sales - Google Search

[mollox]

C&C has been badly run for years by the now departed Maurice Pratt. They upped the capacity at the Clonmel plant based on one good Summer in the UK Sold off some profitable subsidiaries to focus on Bulmers
C&C Executives are some of the highest paid in this country ...lets see what happens

That increased production capacity, combined with the failure of the anticipated growth to materialise, may well be a valid reason for the company to lay off staff. They're also under pricing pressure in the UK, their main market (for Magners). So it may not be quite the cynical exercise some poster suspect (but I could be wrong).

Maurice Pratt had already put his hands up and resigned. He turned the company into a one-trick pony, gambling everything on the early success and rapid growth of Magners in the UK market. When growth stalled and the competition responded, the wheels came off and Pratt departed - taking responsibility for the strategic mistakes.

[Thac0man]

It is getting to the stage where I am starting to wonder how many businesses that are obviously selling product in reasonable volumes are using the recession as an excuse to cut jobs rather than it being a business decision. Hopefully I am proved wrong by this and the meeting will be just to calm workers but recent activities don't give much hope.

Most are international companies though. While some like Intel have not shed so many jobs here, others will ultimitely see their high cost Irish operations in need of trimming when compared against their operations elsewhere and in light of sales downturn.

But I cannot say that Irish operations will not be shut down in order to move business to countries wth lower cost base. Indeed from a profits point of view that may make sense, but short sighted. The real possibility of ground rents on industial premises taking a fall (they are currently an unsustainable 1.5 times simular UK rents), wages costs also going down coupled with our low corporate tax may mean more companies will tough it out.

But those of course are issues of deflation, and that has a direct affect of companies output and profits too.

With particular regard to Bulmers, even before this recession bit, Cider sales were woeful because of the bad summer. There were I believe already lay offs in Bulmers in the UK before Christmas 08.

[Clanrickard]

I have been muttering this for weeks.... considering that a large chunk of redundancy is paid by gvt... companies should have to prove that they really need these redundancies.... and there is no other way out as apposed to just trimming back the fat......

Make it cheaper to hire workers. Get rid of PRSI. If it is difficult to fire someone then companies won't hire or will do so slowly. Also health and safety needs to be curtailed from being an onerous burden to ensuring employees have cop on.

[Outlander]

Bulmers to lay off 121 workers in Co Tipperary | BreakingNews.ie

121 jobs to go...