Limerick to lose 1,200 jobs as household appliance manufacturer Krups is set to close its plant.
The Krups factory employs 500 people and the shock announcement of its closure stunned workers at the plant who were unable to comprehend that their jobs and the cornerstone of Limerick industry were gone.
Krups was regarded as one of Limerick’s best employers with many staff working there since the plant opened in 1964.
To say that we’re devastated is really undermining what we really feel.
A woman with three of her family affected by the closure says
It’s really a very bad day for my family.
The Kennedy family are also coming to terms with the news.
I’ve been 22 years working in Krups and it’s half my life and it’s going to finish.
Supermarkets and shops once visited on a regular basis by Krups employees, are worried their trade will be adversely affected by the factory closure. It is feared a further 700 jobs could be wiped out by the knock-on effect.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 30 October 1998. The reporter is Michael Mulqueen.
