This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/7634018.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
1,000 jobs lost as Seagate closes | 1,000 jobs lost as Seagate closes |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Almost 1,000 people have lost their jobs after Seagate Technologies' factory in Limavady ceased production. | Almost 1,000 people have lost their jobs after Seagate Technologies' factory in Limavady ceased production. |
The plant shut its gates for the final time on Thursday after more than ten years manufacturing components for the electronics industry. | The plant shut its gates for the final time on Thursday after more than ten years manufacturing components for the electronics industry. |
The parts will now be produced in a factory in Malaysia. | The parts will now be produced in a factory in Malaysia. |
The factory's closure date was brought forward by six weeks. However, workers will be paid until the end of October and redundancies aren't affected. | The factory's closure date was brought forward by six weeks. However, workers will be paid until the end of October and redundancies aren't affected. |
Simon McGuinness is one of many Seagate workers who are now unemployed. | |
"I gave ten years of my life to that place now and basically they've upped and left us. | |
"It's not even a matter of we're not doing a good job because we were doing a good job, it's just they can get it cheaper somewhere else. | |
"It's a bit worrying wondering what the future holds for me and how I'm going to cope with bills," he said. | |
Plant manager William O'Kane said rising costs forced the factory to close. | |
"We constantly operated under cost pressures. | |
"The workforce and the management team took enormous steps over the years and were very diligent and very successful in driving cost out of the operation. | |
"They did keep the factory successful for 11 years however inevitably that was not enough and the cost pressures from the Far East could not be surmounted via efficiencies at a local level," said Mr O'Kane. | |
Seagate Technologies' Northern Ireland operation will continue production at its plant on the Buncrana Road in Londonderry. | Seagate Technologies' Northern Ireland operation will continue production at its plant on the Buncrana Road in Londonderry. |