Seagate Job Loses Loom?

Fears are growing that jobs are in jeopardy at a major North West computer engineering company.

Workers at the prestigious Seagate plant in Londonderry will meet management tomorrow (Wednesday) as rumours intensify over cutbacks.

According to the company - which employs around 1,400 at its Springtown facility - staff will be told of "adjustments" to current working arrangements. However, they insist they have no plans to announce "significant" lay-offs even though Seagate workers in the city have just started a five-week period of reduced working hours with many staff taking holidays or unpaid leave.

Seagate says it will continue to monitor the market situation and take "any action necessary" to protect the business going forward. A company spokesman said workers would be kept fully informed of what is happening.

The company spoke out after claims that up to 20% of jobs at the Springtown plant could be in jeopardy.

Given the global economic downturn and the recent closure of the Seagate plant in Limavady, workers understandably have real fears for their jobs, but, today, a Seagate spokesperson continued to deny the claims, insisting the firm had no plans for any "significant" lay-offs.

Speculation about the future of the business in Derry has been growing since the closure of the Limavady plant last September with the loss of more than 1,000 jobs

Yesterday workers at Springtown began a period of reduced working. Staff have been asked to reduce their work weeks by 25% for a five-week period or take unpaid leave or holidays.

The company says the decision to reduce working hours is a direct result of the decline in the market.

See: Dodds Meets Seagate Bosses As Limavady Jobs Axed

(BMcC/JM)