THE grey skies of the day matched the mood of the Tambrands workers in Tipperary town when they collected their redundancy cheques yesterday.
The weather was damp and wet and the mood was sombre. The Tricolour and Stars and Stripes still fluttered in the October wind. Security men kept the media out and moved cars along as former employees were asked for their reactions on their final day at work.
Tambrands Ireland, which employed 220 people, lost only two days to strikes in its 20 year existence, but the majority of the workforce was let go yesterday. About 30 employees with upwards of 18 years' service will be kept in work for another two weeks to complete their eight weeks' notice.
Ms Breda Ryan, a shop steward and supervisor at the plant, commented: "We were there so long, we were a big, happy family. We will never meet some of our colleagues again.
Ms Ryan said that about 35 workers let go by Tambrands had managed to get jobs elsewhere. However, her daughter and son in law, who also worked there, had not yet been able to find other employment. "It wasn't until the last few days that reality dawned and it has hit now. People know what they are facing. Those who have got jobs have to travel to Kilkenny, Galway, Limerick or Clonmel, and some have job prospects in Dublin and Cork," she added.
Ms Eileen Meagher and Mr Brendan Foran have two children, who were with them as they arrived at the plant. "I am saddened, gutted and angry, and the reality will be meeting the normal bills such as the ESB, telephone and mortgage when there is no wage packet coming in," said Ms Meagher.
The director of manufacturing at Tambrands, Mr John O'Meara, thanked each member of the staff for the commitment and loyalty they had shown over many years and said that he hoped an alternative employer would be found before long.
He pledged that Tambrands would continue to work closely with the IDA in the months ahead.
In a statement, Mr O'Meara said that the company had agreed in principle to donate to the local community the ancillary 6,500 square feet building adjacent to main plant. This was being arranged with the county council and it was intended that the building would be used as an enterprise centre.
The company is setting up a trust fund to assist "deserving Tipperary students" going on to third level education and it will be making donations to local primary school book schemes and to the Knockanrawley Resource Centre. It has set aside $200,000 to fund these initiatives.
Members of the Tipperary Enterprise Group are currently in the United States on a nine day mission to attract employers to the area and 500 copies of a new Tipperary industrial brochure have already been distributed in New York, Washington and Boston.