Pilkington Europe management has rejected a proposal for a savings programme drawn up at Lahti in Finland that would have kept the Lahti plant operating throughout the recession. The programme propose…
Pilkington Europe management has rejected a proposal for a savings programme drawn up at Lahti in Finland that would have kept the Lahti plant operating throughout the recession. The programme proposed restraint on wages and bonuses. According to the plant manager, glass manufacture will not yet end permanently in Lahti, but the furnace will be shut down for at least two to three years until demand picks up. It will not be possible to start up the old furnace, however, without investments in modernisation. In future, glass will be brought to Lahti from Pilkington“s other plants, including from Sweden. The Lahti plant will continue to employ 30 people in glass cutting, packaging, and dispatch. At present the plant employs over 100 people.