Options
Bausch & Lomb Making 500 Scots Redundant
US eyecare company Bausch & Lomb have today decided to close a factory in West Lothian, Scotland with the loss of 500 jobs.
I wonder if this has anything to do with recent US/Scots relationship problems?
I feel for the people affected and hope they find alternative employment quickly.
As a proud Scot I'll be looking for a new contact lens solution provider.
I wonder if this has anything to do with recent US/Scots relationship problems?
I feel for the people affected and hope they find alternative employment quickly.
As a proud Scot I'll be looking for a new contact lens solution provider.
0
Comments
dont think so, they made a lot of people redundant about 18 months ago and shut down one of the sites they had in livingston, the majority of the people who kept their jobs had to go onto continental shifts
More likely they are just either
a) bailing because the subsidies / advantages our stupid country pays them have ran out, or
b) closing a UK factory because we make it so damn easy for them over here
One of their engineers held the patent for the original anamorphic lenses
for 20th Century Fox's
CinemaScope format in the early 1950's.
Just thought I'd mention that.
From what I read the corporate tax in Ireland is 12.5%, compared with 28% in Scotland/UK.
Could do.
Seems a shame that the man on the street, yet again, has to pay the price for the lamentable actions of their elected representatives.
B&L have chosen to close one of its three factories i nthat divison, they have also cut jobs in the Waterford factory as well.
It was announced back in 2006 that they were to make changes so I dont think it has anything to do with the current situation.
http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?NewsEntityId=30537
They also lost a hell of a lot of money over the ReNu scandal back at that time as well .
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2006-04-11-renu-infections_x.htm
McDougall (West Lothian Chamber of Commerce CEO) said: "It is disappointing that during recent years Alistair Darling, Iain Gray, Jim Devine, Margaret Hodge and Michael Connarty [all Labour AFAIK] all had opportunities to influence changes that might have helped businesses like Bausch & Lomb to stay in West Lothian.
Chamber president Duncan M Walker told the Sunday Herald that the American firm's decision was a "no-brainer" given the savings that they could make by producing in Ireland, where their factory is situated in an RSA area. Firms in RSA areas can access grants of up to 35% towards investment that will create jobs in vulnerable communities.
More...
http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2529381.0.furious_business_leaders_blame_politicians_for_latest_job_losses.php