THERE ARE increasing fears for one of Tralee’s biggest manufacturing plants after workers at German-owned manufacturing company Beru Electronics, in Monavalley Industrial Estate, were called to a meeting with management yesterday.
The 200 employees at the 24-year-old car components factory were told further circumstances had to be clarified with management in Germany before plans for the Co Kerry plant could be fully laid out. Speculation that the operation would be moved back to Germany increased last week. The plant has been implementing a number of cost-cutting measures, including short time.
Tralee is already reeling from heavy job losses and the number of unemployed in the town now stands at more than 6,200.
The Tralee plant concentrates on the manufacture of glow plugs, which are heating devices similar to spark plugs and are used to start diesel engines.
The Irish costs and production levels are being compared with those of another glow plug production Beru plant in Ludwigsburg, in Germany.
A decision is to be taken as to whether the Tralee operation will be moved to Germany, it is understood.
Some 80 per cent of the operation in Tralee is based on glow plug production, and a removal of this would almost certainly close the plant, union sources say.
All 200 workers including shift workers were called to the plant yesterday.
Earlier this year some 20 workers were laid off under a voluntary redundancy package under terms agreed between management and Siptu, the union which represents the workers.
Tralee has been badly affected in recent months. Just weeks ago, the complete closure of Amann Industries, also German owned, which manufactures specialised thread for the automotive and fashion industry with the loss of all 330 jobs, was announced.
Some of those jobs are to go to existing Amann plants in Romania and Germany, but most will be taken up in Asia.
Siptu has said that manufacturing has virtually collapsed in the north Kerry region and it has called for immediate intervention on electricity costs, and special rates for industry to safeguard jobs.
Politicians have called for the introduction of special measures including an extension to Tralee of the midwest taskforce under the chairmanship of Denis Brosnan, as well as EU upskilling funds for those made redundant.