Apparently there is still no peace at the Tyrolean crystal group Swarovski. According to the Tyrolean Labor Chamber, there is “fire on the roof” – a new wave of layoffs is imminent. “Services will be completely shut down, particularly the areas of IT, human resources and administration will be affected, the layoffs will affect all areas of staff.” The company responds: “There are currently no further structural staff reductions planned in Wattens.”
“No stability and no prospect of a positive future, as announced by the new group management” – this is the beginning of the press release with which Tyrolean AK boss Erwin Zangerl addressed the media on Tuesday. Zangerl directly attacks CEO Alexis Nasard: “It seems that there is no liquidation here. Nasard is driving a course that will eventually throw the company on the rocks if countermeasures are not finally taken!
The employees are “seen as an overly expensive cost factor”, while there are no savings at the management level. “The fact that Nasard does not want to have discussions with the staff or the works council further undermines confidence in management,” Zangerl continues.
“Clarity is needed”
Zangerl calls on Nasard to resume talks with the works council. “Saving money at the expense of staff is not a strategy, and it doesn’t take highly paid executives refusing to talk. Clarity is needed for the employees and a commitment to the location that is more than the lip service we have been hearing for three years,” says the AK boss.
Crystal Group responds to AK criticism
The company responded to criticism from the Labor Chamber on Tuesday afternoon. Regarding the number of employees, it said: “Swarovski has made a long-term commitment to the Wattens site. Several hundred employees were hired at the location last year. No further structural staff reductions are planned at this time. Nevertheless, the number of employees in individual areas can always shift up or down, as in any organization, which is by definition a living organism.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
