Unemployment  doubles in a year

THE number of people unemployed in the 26 Counties has more than doubled in 12 months to 264,600, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.
Official figures also show that the number of people working in the economy in the second quarter fell by more than 8% from a year earlier.
The CSO report  says that the biggest fall in employment was in construction, where there was a drop of 86,000 or 35.6% over 12 months.  The wholesale and retail category and the industrial sector also recorded big drops in the numbers working.
The CSO figures also show that the total number of people in the labour force fell by 36,500, or 1.6%, over the year to 2.2m.
The number of non-Irish workers in the labour force dropped by almost 10% over the year to 325,400. 274,600 of these were working, while 50,800 were unemployed, more than double the figure for the second quarter last year.

Element Six in Labour Court

UNIONS at the Shannon-based industrial diamond plant are in the Labour Court this week for talks with management over the threat to 240 jobs at the plant.
The company announced last July that it was winding down its operation at Shannon with the loss of 370 jobs; 80 employees will be kept on.
A sustainability plan to save more jobs has hit a problem over redundancy terms for the 210 workers who would be let go.   The company’s CEO has insisted that unless agreement can be reached this week, as An Phoblacht goes to press, the original wind-down operation will be implemented, with the loss of 370 jobs.

Jobs lost in Midlands

SIXTY-SEVEN jobs have been lost in the Midlands counties of Westmeath and Offaly at three different companies.
Forty people are being made redundant after Esker Bus & Coach Ltd and its sister company, KVC Manufacturing Ltd, in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, went into liquidation.
Eighteen workers have lost their jobs after the appointment of a liquidator at John Gannon & Son’s Concrete Products Ltd, also in Kilbeggan.
Nine redundancies are being sought at the Loughneane Concrete firm in Birr, County Offaly

Adams meets Coca Cola workers

Gerry Adams with striking Coca Cola workers in Cork last week. Labour Court settlement recommended the company offer a redundancy package in line with arrangements previously agreed with SIPTU