Bitech Workers "Devastated" At Closure

Workers in County Louth, are said to have been devastated at the news of the closure of Bitech Engineering leading to the loss of over 200 jobs.

The decision came from its parent company, Glen Dimplex, which is based in Dublin.

SIPTU Organiser, John King, described the decision as “devastating” for the workers concerned, and one that will have far reaching consequences for the Louth area with the loss of revenue generated from employee spending.

The union said that workers' representatives and management at the plant had been engaged in extensive talks on a change and cost reduction programme that was overwhelmingly rejected by the workforce in a secret ballot before Christmas.

Union officials believed the cost reduction programme would have seen a significant number of redundancies, with the remaining workers having to accept a 20% reduction in their pay and a serious dis-improvement in their conditions of employment.

Siptu Organiser John King said: “The package in totality was unacceptable to the workers, who are already low paid, earning less than the average industrial wage while the Glen Dimplex Group is very profitable. This is a devastating blow to the workers and to the Louth area.”

SIPTU said it would be exploring whatever opportunities existed to save as many of the jobs as possible.

Glen Dimplex is an Irish-based consumer electrical goods firm and one of the world's largest electrical heating business. It holds significant market positions in the domestic appliance industry worldwide and has an annual turnover of €1.5 Billion. The Group employs 8,500 people.

(DW/GK)