Derry Workers Lose Their Shirts As Last Jobs Cut

Workers are loosing their shirts in a Londonderry factory closure.

After cutting some 85 jobs back in January, the remaining 30 workers at Glenaden Shirts on the Waterside's Trench Road have been told they are to be paid off.

Staff only learned of the situation when they returned to work on Monday morning, although the plant itself went into administration last Thursday.

A company spokesperson confirmed the last of the positions, believed to be in the region of 30 are being axed.

Foyle MP Mark Durkan said: "News that the remaining 30 jobs at Glenaden are being lost is a further blow to what is left of the textile manufacturing tradition in this city. Obviously the priority for the workers - if the business cannot be maintained - will be to secure prompt payment of the notice money that is due to them and to their redundancy payments."

Ironically, the job losses were announced as the company said 2007 had been the most successful in its history, with sales increases of 30% to £4.4 million.

It is thought that Trade Unions have that been negotiating with Glenaden management over the previous lay-offs will continue to represent workers and the Citizens Advice Bureau will be at hand to provide advice.

In January this year Glenaden Shirts shed 85 of the 115 jobs at their factory. A fall in orders led to company to shed 53 jobs in November 2005. This came three years after the company invested £2.4 million at the plant, with the creation of 40 jobs in 2002.

The overall textile industry has been in decline for decades in Northern Ireland with the industry being a mere shadow of the former commercial giant it once was - as low paid workers in the Far East are used to manufacture a range of textile products.

This is a huge turnround in fortunes as, at one point the factory made around 300,000 shirts annually for leading names such as Thomas Pink, Burberry and Asquascutum.

See: Derry Shirt Factory Hit By Job Losses

(BMcC)