Small surprise and a little deja vu

"Same factory, not quite the same story, and a bit of a relief" was the response of one of the APC manufacturing staff after yesterday's announcement of up to 250 job cuts at one of the city's biggest employers.

For Mike Cooley, a supervisor from Galway, it was "shades of the Digital closure". He had worked with Digital 12 years ago and was in the same premises in Ballybrit Industrial Estate when told he would be made redundant, along with almost 800 others. "To be honest, we survived that and it's an opportunity to move on, even if we are a little bit older," Mr Cooley said.

"Manufacturing is moving East and there's nothing new in that. APC has been a good employer, but how can a business afford to pay the wages needed with the cost of living in this country?"

"We knew this was coming - there were rumours on internet chatrooms and people watching the company's share price."

Colleague Dermot Kelly, a technician and also from Galway, said the uncertainty was over. He had also worked with Digital. "I've been in this same building for 20 years, since 1986. But we've been in limbo for the past three years, since there was first talk of job losses here."

Brian Brogan of Shantalla, who joined APC straight after his Leaving Cert almost 12 years ago, said the company had paid for him to take an electronics engineering degree. "It is quite shocking to be told this - and the redundancies could start next week or in nine months."

Mr Brogan has a mortgage, has just had a baby with his partner and was due to get married shortly. "I am cancelling the appointment with my bank manager for a loan now, as I guess he won't want to talk to me," he said.

James Harlowe of Galway said that the job cuts wouldn't affect his department as he works in customer support. "I won't be applying for redundancy. I wouldn't get it anyway." Staff had been told that they would have access to human resources personnel, financial advisers and counsellors, Mr Harlowe said.