Woco, the car components plant in Carrick-on-Shannon, is expected to lay off about 30 of its 117 employees this week. The lay-offs are part of a cost-cutting exercise by the German-based group that could lead to the closure of its Irish operation. The situation is reminiscent of Packard, the US-owned car components plant that closed in Tallaght, Co Dublin, last year. Like Packard, the Woco workers have been told they must accept radical changes in work practices to remain competitive.
Management met SIPTU representatives for talks on Saturday. But at a general meeting afterwards, workers voted by 29 to 27 to reject proposals to introduce multi-machine operations before a Labour Court hearing on October 30th.
Woco has denied claims by SIPTU that it wants to pull out of Ireland due to adverse exchange rate between the pound and deutschmark. It said there was a future for the plant if it could be made competitive.