APPROXIMATELY 65 PEOPLE have had their work week cut for the coming weeks due to a scaling back of production at the maker of Waterford Crystal.

The Fiskars Group – which acquired the company in 2015 – said it will “temporarily reduce production” at its House of Waterford on The Mall in Waterford city from next Monday for several weeks.

Fiskars said it plans to resume normal levels of production in March – meaning staff will work two days instead of five until then.

Production and tours of the factory will stop from Monday to Wednesday, while a shop operating from the House of Waterford on The Mall in Waterford city will remain open all week during the shutdown.

A spokesperson for Fiskars said the move is a “short-term” measure taken to address a slowdown in sales in the US and other key markets.

“Operations will continue as normal on Thursdays and Fridays and the store will be open all week, as per normal opening hours,” the statement read.

“This short‑term measure is being taken to address elevated inventory levels in some of our key markets Americas, Australia, UK and Ireland.”

Trade union Unite said the company needed to be “transparent” about the shutdown, as it warned that it mustn’t become a “permanent threat to the long term viability” of Waterford Crystal.

Fiskars took over the remnants of the company in 2015, following a tumultuous period that saw some 1,500 workers lose their jobs when the Waterford Crystal plant shut down six years earlier.

The company has continued on under the ‘House of Waterford’ name in Waterford city centre where it still manufactures Waterford Crystal.

A number of staff also work in guided tour of the House of Waterford factory – these have also been laid off from Monday to Wednesday for the coming weeks.

However, tours will continue as usual on Thursdays and Fridays during this period.

“Starting in March, the factory tours will resume their regular schedule, 7 days per week,” the Fiskars spokesperson said.

Union response

Eoin Drummey, regional organiser with Unite, told The Journal that workers were in “absolute shock” after receiving the news last night.

“There is a resounding sense of disappointment given we’re only three weeks into the new year, and notwithstanding the ever increasing burdens of the cost of living,” Drummey added.

In the Fiskars statement, the company outlined that House of Waterford serves as a centre for high‑end crystal production, where “mouth‑blown, hand‑cut, sculpted, and engraved pieces are crafted by skilled artisans”, techniques that it said are “at the heart of Waterford’s identity” locally.

“This living tradition reflects our commitment to craftsmanship and the House of Waterford’s role in our heritage and operations,” the company spokesperson said.

In response to this, Drummey said that while the company is emphasising heritage and craftsmanship, the “reality is that 65 skilled workers are facing a temporary reduction” in their job.

“Their livelihoods and futures matter,” Drummey said, “And any short term business adjustment should be done transparently and ensure jobs are safe jobs in Waterford for the long-term.”