INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRELAND:

CONTINUED NEGOTIATIONS OVER WATERFORD CRYSTAL:

The negotiations over the final fate of the occupied Waterford Crystal factory continue unabated, with the union still trying to be "realistic" rather than creative. As in so many other things you can "realistically" drive to defeat in a crisis situation in the most "realistic" manner. See past Molly posts on this matter and on the Kherson factory occupation for my own view. Here, from the Waterford News and Star is an article from two days ago on the latest skivvy on the stalemate.

..........................

Union tight-lipped after Government meeting:
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Union tight-lipped after Government meeting

By Marion O’Mara

A GLIMMER of good news loomed on the horizon this week for workers at Waterford Crystal, following what was described as “a positive engagement” between union leaders and Government officials over pensions.

Walter Cullen, Regional Organiser of UNITE, said that the discussions centred on the pension scheme. Due to the delicate nature of the talks, he declined to comment beyond describing them as positive.

A spokesperson for Deloitte Receiver, David Carson was also remaining tight-lipped yesterday amid widespread speculation that a deal had been concluded with KPS Capital Partnership for Waterford Crystal.

“No deal has been finalised and negotiations are ongoing,” he said.

Following a mass meeting at The Forum, in the city last Thursday, workers heard that KPS Capital Partnership had made a “goodwill” offer of €10m in compensation for the loss of severance and ex-gratia payments.

They also offered to lease the premises and continue small scale manufacturing, with approximately 80 jobs on the tourist trail and a further 80 jobs between the Visitor Gallery and office staff.

Following negotiations with the Receiver, the Government and the ICTU, Mr. Cullen said that they outlined to members the outcome of the talks. “We put forward a recommendation based on those negotiations and it was accepted.

Now we are waiting to hear from the Receiver,” he said. As he emerged from the tense two-hour meeting he said, “We need to devise a mechanism by which that €10m is going to be allocated in a fair and equitable way. There are conditions on that laid down by KPS and by the Receiver, which are issues that we need to address when we respond to both KPS and the Receiver, and we need clarification in relation to jobs.”

Asked about a possible bid from Clarion — the company which former Crystal Chief Executive, John Foley is involved, he said there had been no indication as to which bid would be accepted. He added that UNITE members were angry with the process they were in.

“Nobody was jumping up and down with excitement about the announcement of €10m. They are still also very unhappy with the Government – in particular with the response on the pension issue.

That still remains unresolved. “There are three elements we set out from the very start in terms of maximising the number of jobs, a manufacturing facility to produce Waterford Crystal in Waterford, compensation for the ex-gratia payments that were due to our members and resolution of the pension issue.”

Asked how much longer he thought they would get from the Receiver to resolve the process Mr. Cullen said that was a question for the Receiver. He had been indicating that he was under severe pressure to move the process forward — “as we are.”

He wanted whichever buyer was successful in the bid to engage with the union on maximising jobs and he also said that they wanted to look for alternative uses for the tank furnace if that was not part of KPS’ plans.

Mr. Cullen declined to comment on the conditions attached to the offer from KPS.

...........................

MOLLY NOTE:

Believe it or not I actually get quite a few visits to this blog from the receiver mentioned in the above, and it doesn't seem to be connected to this one matter. i am hard pressed to understand what information they may be gathering. What i can say is that not just Deloitte and Touche, but most other receivers are a sector of the economy that has seen their business expand in the present economic crisis. I think it is about time to advance beyond Naoimi Klein's "disaster capitalism" and posit the term "vulture capitalism".

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRELAND:

SIX THOUSAND DEMONSTRATE TO SAVE WATERFORD CRYSTAL:

Earlier today 6,000 people demonstrated in the streets of Waterford in Ireland in support of the workers occupying the Waterford Crystal factory. the following, from the Irish Times, tells the story. There is also now a Facebook group devoted to saving Waterford. You can access it at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110003560463 . In a few days of existence it has gathered 4,035 members the last that Molly looked.

.............................

Union leader at Waterford believes plant can be saved:

BARRY ROCHE, Southern Correspondent, in Waterford
UNION LEADERS representing workers at Waterford Crystal last night remained confident that a deal can be done to save the plant and secure pension entitlements for former workers as over 6,000 marched through Waterford in support of the workforce.

Unite regional industrial organiser Walter Cullen told The Irish Times that the union was still confident that the Clarion Capital group would be successful in its bid for the plant, in the process securing more than 300 jobs at the plant, including some 200 in manufacturing.

It is understood that Clarion Capital, which includes former Waterford Crystal chief executive John Foley is carrying out due diligence on the company having lodged a bid with the receiver, David Carson of Deloitte and Touche last Saturday.

Mr Cullen said that he remained confident the Government would still intervene to provide a pension protection plan for former workers, despite the collapse of the pay talks between Government and the social partners on Tuesday. He said that the union had put proposals to the Government prior to the collapse of the talks which would involve the Government underwriting the workers’ pensions, but which would not cost hundreds of millions.

While Unite had received advice that it could bring legal action against the Government over its failure to implement an EU directive on pension protection, he said the union remained hopeful that the proposals put to the Government would be accepted, thus avoiding the need for legal action.

Mr Cullen was speaking after some 6,000 people marched in support of the Waterford Crystal workers who are continuing to occupy the plant after Mr Carson announced that he was closing the factory last Friday and made workers redundant.

Workers made redundant on Friday were joined by former employees and workers from other companies around Waterford, as well as people from all over the city.

The march began at the AIB Bank on Paddy Browne’s Road and was led by former Waterford Crystal employees and pipers Terry McAuliffe and Tony Wallace who were joined by the Barrack Street Band who played a series of stirring airs as thousands walked behind the array of banners.

Among those represented at the march were Unite, which represents over 90 per cent of workers at Waterford Glass, Waterford Council of Trade Unions, Dublin Council of Trades Unions, Siptu members from Iarnród Éireann in Waterford and TUI members at Waterford Institute of Technology.The workers and their supporters made their way to the car park at the visitor centre in Kilbarry where the rally was addressed by a series of speakers including the Mayor of Waterford councillor Jack Walsh who warned that the closure of the factory would be disastrous for the city.

Messages of solidarity were read from the former general secretary of the TUC in the UK, Jack Jones, and Liverpool dockers, while thanks were also expressed on behalf of the occupying workers to the Waterford people who had provided supplies.

.............................

MOLLY NOTE:

It is rather disappointing that there doesn't seem to be a "Plan B" on the part of the union should Clarion Capital not turn out to be the white knight. being as the government is already being pressured to underwrite the pension plan for the employees of the plant it doesn't take a far stretch of the imagination that they could also be pressured to act as guaranteers for a producers' cooperative if Plan A fails to materialize.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRELAND:

WATERFORD CRYSTAL FACTORY OCCUPATION CONTINUES:

..................................

As of today the workers at the Waterford Crystal factory in Waterford Ireland are continuing their occupation of the premises. Here, is a brief update from the UK press hosted on Google.

Waterford sit-in into fourth night:
Angry workers at the threatened Waterford Crystal factory dug their heels in with a bitter attack on critics as they vowed to continue a sit-in for a fourth night.

Negotiations between receiver David Carson and the US-based Clarion investment consortium were continuing, with trade union leaders yet to be briefed in detail on any rescue plan.

Unite representative Walter Cullen hit out at accusations that the peaceful protest had descended into anarchy. "These workers feel passionately about their jobs as something more than filling a shift," he said. "They have conducted themselves throughout with dignity and respect for the property. Those who are concerned about the image of Ireland might look more to the events surrounding some of our financial institutions rather than events in the south east as a cause for greater concern."
.............................
The workers have also taken their protest to the Dublin headquarters of the receiver Deloitte & Touche. Here's a report of what happened there earlier today from the Irish Times.

............................

Waterford workers stage protest at Deloitte offices:

Angry scenes at Deloitte & Touche's headquarters in Dublin today as Waterford Crystal workers staged a protest. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
LUKE CASSIDY
Waterford Wedgwood workers staged a protest for several hours at the offices of Deloitte & Touche in Dublin earlier today.

About 12 Waterford Wedgwood workers entered the reception area of Deloitte & Touche’s headquarters on Earlsfort Terrace in protest at the actions of Deloitte partner David Carson, who was appointed as a receiver to the ailing glassware company last month.

Mr Carson took the decision to close Waterford's Kilbarry plant on Friday prompting a sit-in protest by workers.

Union Unite, which represents the workers, said today’s protest was designed bring to the attention of those 1,100 people who work for Deloitte in Ireland the poor manner in which Mr Carson and their company have handled the situation in Waterford Crystal since last Friday.
When the workers first entered the Deloitte building at 11am this morning they were told by security personnel to leave and that they were trespassing.

At one stage gardaí were called to remove the protesters but following a meeting between two Waterford workers and senior partners at Deloitte, at which the workers registered their dismay at the actions of Mr Carson, the protest ended.

Waterford worker Tom Hogan said the protesters represented a cross section of the workforce and had come up to Dublin to make a protest and “to say we are not human waste that can be set aside when we are surplus to requirements."

Speaking after the meeting with senior partners Pat Cullen and David Deasy at Deloitte, Mr Hogan said: “We left them in no doubt as to how we feel about the actions of their partner David Carson in dumping 480 people.

“We put it to them that Deloitte is interested in one thing only, making it [Waterford Crystal] as attractive as possible to who they sell it to and to increase their own fee.

“They have absolutely no concern for individuals or families that are suffering as a result of this. We’ve made our protest here today we’ll be returning to Waterford now to join our colleagues in the factory to continue the occupation.

“We emphasised to them we won’t be going away anywhere soon…we are in for the long haul.
“If no prospective buyer turns up we expect this Government to take this into public ownership on behalf of the people of the south east region and of the country.”

More than 700 workers were employed at the plant until Friday, 480 of them in manufacturing.

Workers staging the sit-in have been operating a rota system with up to 100 people remaining in the plant at any given time.

In a statement before the protest, Unite regional organiser Walter Cullen said “It will be a peaceful demonstration. We will not be employing private security forces to ‘protect’ us as the receiver shamefully did in Waterford.”

“The sit in at Waterford was a direct result of David Carson’s action in closing the plant with no discussion, no contact or no respect for the working people who generated sales of €180 million for the company in the United States alone last year.

“Maintaining the plant as a going concern is essential to keep hope alive in the bids that have been made. If Deloitte is not willing to do that then we will,” he said

................................

Meanwhile government Minister Martin Cullen who visited the plant as a flack runner to show (or pretend) that the government was "doing" something was challenged during his visit. Here is the story, Once more from the Irish Times.

..............................

Workers at sit-in challenge visiting politicians on handling of crisis:
CIARÁN MURPHY in Waterford
WORKERS STAGING a sit-in at the showcase Waterford Crystal Gallery yesterday challenged visiting politicians about the Government’s handling of the crisis which has seen production come to a halt.

About 150 workers gathered at the showroom yesterday, the fourth day of the occupation, while some challenged Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen who was there in relation to the issue. The workers on Sunday evening voted in favour of continuing the occupation.

Minister Cullen yesterday said he could understand why the occupation happened.

“I think the workers and everybody . . . we’d all prefer if it hadn’t happened. But we are where we are.”

“But I’m here this morning and I have to say there’s a sense of calm about the place and I think that’s a good thing.”

However, the Minister was challenged by workers upon leaving the plant.

One man wanted to know what the Minister meant when he said things were better for them than they had been:

“You said that we were better off . . . that ‘you’re better today’.

“I have no job this morning, after 42 years, and you’re telling me I’m better off . . . thanks very much.”

Mr Cullen said he was referring to the various proposals to keep the company alive and it was the company’s “prospects” that were better than on Friday.

Meanwhile, TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, deputy Bobby Aylward, Waterford Deputy Brendan Kenneally and Waterford City councillor Tom Murphy, all Fianna Fáil, also visited the plant yesterday.

Mr Aylward was also challenged by workers as he left the gallery yesterday.

“The people in the street; they have enough of these people who are getting away with millions, right?,” asked one worker.

The man, who did not wish to be named, added: “Like, there are ordinary citizens in this country who invested in this place . . . where is their money now? They expected a small little dividend from it.”

Workers who were not served with letters informing them that their jobs would be terminated, turned up for work yesterday.

Some of these workers, who have been given clearance to work from their union Unite, ensured that the furnace continued to function yesterday. Tending to the furnace at the Kilbarry plant is a continuous, “non-stop” process.

One former furnace operative, Bobby Gaulle, who worked at the plant for 37 years and took redundancy in November, said he is still owed “about €60,000”.

Mr Gaulle said that were the furnace to cease operating, it would cost “in the region of somewhere between” €8,000 to €11,000 to get it operational again.

“What happens is that the material hardens and the sides of the furnace would cave in.

“The way furnaces are built, they are kept together with heat. If you reduce the heat or knock off the heat she caves in on herself.

“And the stuff inside then just goes hard. Even to repair it would cost up to three million.”

Throughout yesterday, John Foley, a former chief executive of Waterford Crystal, engaged in talks with the receiver of the company, David Carson, and later with union officials at Kilbarry.

Unite’s Irish Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly last night said that until yesterday morning, the receiver had resisted allowing Mr Foley into the plant to “look at the books”.

Speaking from the visitors centre at Waterford Crystal yesterday morning, MEP for Munster, Kathy Sinnott, said all TDs, MEPs and Senators should take a 20 per cent pay cut on their wages and “share the pain of these difficult times with our constituents”.

............................

There will be further solidarity actions with the Waterford workers in days to. Here's a notice about a local action due be held tomorrow (later today over there).

..............................

Public Demonstration in Support of Waterford Crystal Workers:
by Alan M. - Workers Solidarity Movement - Cork
Gathering at AIB Bank, Paddy Browne Road.Wednesday, 4th February 2009, 4pm.Marching to Visitors Centre Car Park, Waterford Crystal.

Support the workers who have been treated appallingly. If they can do it to them, they can do it to us all. Please attend and defend against this attack on Waterford's economy, culture & heritage.Organised by Waterford Council of Trade Unions (WCTU)

............................

The union for the workers at Waterford is the T&G section of UNITE. You can access their news of the event by going to the Irish region section of their website. The possibility that the works could be nationalized if a suitable buyer unwilling to keep them in operation cannot be found has been mentioned by union spokesmen. Molly thinks that reconstitution of the operation as a producers cooperative would be a better solution. No doubt the government would have to be involved as a guarantor of debt, but it would be better to have the state as a creditor rather than as a boss. There is no indication that government bureaucrats would be any better at running the business than the private owners have been. History actually suggests the precise opposite. The workers presently employed at the plant would have the advantage of knowledge unavailable to outside managers. Molly would further suggest that any "compensation" offered to the present owners (or their liquidators) be properly adjusted by subtraction of the debts that the government would have to underwrite. This, obviously, would be a matter of duelling accountants, but a case could be made that the sum owed would be less than zero. Small investors, of course, should be offered better terms than large holdings. It's all food for thought.

WINNIPEG NEWS:

WILL WINNIPEG'S WATER GO PRIVATE ?:

There's been a controversy here in the Peg in the last little while about whether to change Winnipeg's water utility to a stand alone corporation that would be open to private participation. Sort of a privatization by stealth. Needless to say this has evoked opposition. Here, from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is one view.

............................

Winnipeg opens door to privatized water:
Winnipeg city council is on the road to privatizing the operation and management of its drinking water and sewage treatment.

Council has decided to explore setting up a Municipal Corporate Utility (city-owned but arms length corporation) to operate water, sewage and possibly energy services. City council also voted to use a “strategic partner” (otherwise known as privatization through a P3) to finance, design, build and operate two water and wastewater plants.

CUPE 500 and a broad coalition of community, environmental, student and church groups opposed the move and called on the city to build on existing public capacity.

CUPE 500 president Mike Davidson spoke on behalf of the city’s municipal workers at the Nov. 19 council meeting, detailing the dangers of privatization and showing why public works best for the city’s water services.

The radical shift in how water services are governed and delivered is based on a flimsy “proof of concept” report from pro-privatization consultants Deloitte & Touche that doesn’t stack public against private and objectively compare them.

Earlier this year, Deloitte also advised that the city’s Disraeli bridge should be upgraded as a P3. The consulting firm is a sponsor of the country’s main privatization lobby group.

Winnipeg city councilor Jenny Gerbasi opposed the plans, calling them a “drastic move away from public control of core city services” that “is on the fast track”. She and three other pro-public councilors raised questions of accountability and direct control.

Gerbasi moved a motion for public hearings – which have been non-existent – as well as a full and open comparison of public and private plans.

But council voted to barrel ahead instead of listening to the arguments for staying public, including University of Winnipeg professor Christopher Leo’s warnings about what happened to a similar scheme in Utica, NY.

The corporate proposal for Winnipeg includes selling water services to neighbouring communities. Leo points to the results of Detroit’s attempts to market its water regionally. Winnipeg’s water marketing plan ignores regional resource-sharing and support that could happen publicly.

The coalition opposing water privatization isn’t going away. CUPE will keep working with the broad cross-section of citizens and groups that want to keep the city’s water public, challenging the city’s blinkered plans at every step.