Short-time working and reducing the out-sourcing of products are understood to be among the measures being considered by Waterford Wedgwood at its Waterford Crystal operations as a result of the slowdown in the US economy.

However, the company refused yesterday to comment on whether a decision had been taken on either option.

And a spokesman said that if any decision was taken, the employees would be told first.

A meeting between the management and unions is scheduled for next week.

Mr Walter Cullen, the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union official who represents Waterford Crystal workers, said his members would be very concerned if it did materialise that short-time working, shorter weeks or redundancies were among the issues to be discussed.

"The first-half results for this year were very good, even given the difficult trading position in America prior to the atrocities of last week.

No-one can judge what the impact of that would be on a company like Waterford Crystal," he said .

Asked on RT╔ radio's News at One if the company had stockpiles of £90 million worth of crystal, he said it had been suggested in the local media that it was as high as that, but the union did not know what the actual figure was.

He would welcome a decision to discontinue out-sourcing of product if necessary.

He said he hoped redundancies would not be an issue.

When the company posted interim results last week, the chairman, Sir Anthony O'Reilly, warned: "Should the economic environment worsen during the balance of the year, we will take appropriate action to protect our ongoing profitability."