THE CHIEF of FÁS will
be told today about the deepening unemployment
crisis in Donegal and the North West.
Local Senator Pearse Doherty will join his party's
economic spokesperson, Deputy Arthur Morgan, at a
meeting with FÁS director general Roddy Molloy.
They will outline their concerns for vulnerable
workers in the construction industry as well as the
latest shock to the region delivered by Seagate in
Limavady. A total of 900 people are to lose their
jobs at the plant next year including workers from
Inishowen and other parts of Donegal.
"Seagate Technology’s decision to close its Limavady
plant has put a renewed emphasis on the urgency for
a robust re-training strategy for the border
counties," said Senator Doherty, who added that the
jobless rate in the region now stands at 18%.
Meanwhile, workers at the Seagate plant have been
offered a redundancy deal giving them up to six
weeks pay for every year of service.
At a meeting yesterday, management said they would
get four weeks' pay per year of service, plus an
additional two weeks, if production levels at the
facility were maintained.
Management said high labour costs had made the plant
uncompetitive and much of the work from next year
would be carried out at the company's new facility
in Malaysia.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the
Limavady announcement would badly affect several
counties including Donegal. |
