Seagate Close Limavady Plant, 900 To Lose Jobs
Seagate are laying off some 900 staff from their substrate manufacturing base in Limavady, Co. Derry citing the loss of competitiveness as the reason for moving operations to Malayasia. The move east has been a gradual one. In December 1997, Seagate announced that it’s Clonmel facility employing 1,400 people was closing. As part of this closure, Seagate had to repay the IDA over 11 million Irish pounds.
In 2005, Seagate announced plans to expand its operation in the North, The plan earmarked an investment of 83 million into its plants at Limavady and Springtown. Out of that substantial investment, Invest NI planned to contribute 25 million pounds. I wonder if these investment figures been reached. Will Seagate have to repay government grants given to aid in extending the Limavady plant, now that it has decided to close shop there?
Whilst there has been no news of threats to the jobs at Seagate’s Springtown facility, workers there must be looking nervously at their Limavady colleagues and fearing for the future. Redundancy discussions are set to kick off within days, but it will be cold comfort to the families facing Christmas with employment scarce on the ground and mortgages to pay.
UPDATE: The Independent reports that fears are also being expressed about the job security of Seagate workers in Donegal.