DELL WORKERS in Limerick should finally learn their fate today, following months of speculation over the future of the city's largest employer.
Some 3,000 workers will hear from management on plans for restructuring the company at a series of meetings beginning at 9am at the Raheen facility.
Speculation has been rife that Dell's restructuring plans include the transfer of its manufacturing operation from Limerick to eastern Europe. This would result in the loss of 2,000 jobs here.
Business sources in Limerick remained hopeful last night that the computer giant will consider outsourcing its manufacturing operation locally, which would keep the jobs in the region, and that today's announcement will indicate the company is in a position to consider this option.
Two thirds of Dell's staff in Limerick are employed in manufacturing roles, while thousands more jobs in service and supply companies in the midwest are reliant on the company for suvival.
Fears for the Dell jobs have been growing over the past few months since the company announced its decision to review operations worldwide in a bid to reduce costs by $3 billion.
The computer giant's CEO Michael Dell met Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea in Texas last month where it was indicated the company would reveal its decision to staff early in the New Year.
In an e-mail circulated yesterday, workers were told a series of staff meetings would take place at Dell's Raheen facility at 9am and 10am today. Dell's manufacturing workers will attend two separate meetings at 9am while staff in other areas including retail and marketing will attend the 10am meetings. Worried staff said 1,500 chairs were being laid out in one of the company's buildings ahead of this morning's meetings.
The chief executive of Limerick's Chamber of Commerce, Maria Kelly, said the impact of any potential job losses at Dell "would have massive implications throughout the region".
"A lot of service industries have built up around Dell so the impact will be wider," she said.
Ms Kelly added she hoped any redundancies would be spread out over a long period rather than through a mass lay-off.
Local Fianna Fáil TD Peter Power said last night there was "acute anxiety" among people in Limerick to find out what Dell's plans were for its Limerick operation, particularly among supporting companies that are totally reliant on Dell for their survival.
"There is huge apprehension not just among the workers in Dell but among the other supporting companies that provide a lot of good jobs here in Limerick," he said.