Government must reaffirm its commitment to manufacturing sector
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The announcement of 200 job cuts at the Bausch and Lomb/Valeant manufacturing facility in Waterford is a further blow to a region already devastated by unemployment.
Several large manufacturing plants have closed in the south-east in recent years notably the Waterford Crystal plant and thousands of workers have lost quality jobs.
While the Government has insisted that protecting manufacturing employment is a priority, it is evident that efforts to replace the jobs lost over recent years have been singularly unsuccessful.
If there is to be any prospect of creating a sustainable economy based on the creation of well paid, high quality employment it has to include a viable and vibrant manufacturing sector.
It is our view that the government must reaffirm its intention to promote manufacturing and to encourage existing employers in the industry to ensure that their primary responsibility is to retain existing jobs while striving to generate new ones.
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