Job losses a dreadful way to start the New Year- Crowe

Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, has expressed his dismay over the loss of 83 jobs in Johnson Brothers in Ballymount.

Management in the firm called employees to a meeting this afternoon to inform them of a “significant development within the company” with new arrangements necessitating the loss of 83 jobs in its warehouse and transport operations. It is now proposed to outsource this work to an external company. Other operations in the company which employ 200 staff are not affected by today’s announcement.

Deputy Seán Crowe TD said:

“These job losses and the scale of them are a dreadful way to start the New Year for all those workers their families.

“These particular jobs rationalisation process seems to be due to a reduction in the volume of goods transported by the company, and reflects on the poor state of our domestic economy. While the haulage industry will receive a rebate on diesel from 1 July 2013 under Budget 2013, this particular measure seems to have come too late for many of the workers in Johnston Brothers.

“Thankfully 200 staff will be retained by the company, but the loss of 83 jobs is a significant amount, especially in Dublin South West which is an area experiencing high unemployment.

“The Government continue to spin that the worst is over and the economy is recovering but there is little sign of that in Dublin South West or in the wider domestic economy, which is continuing to shrink rapidly.

“The Government needs to invest in stimulus packages which will not only save jobs but also the conditions to create them.”