Menrad lays off another 24 workers

Twenty-four employees of the spectacles manufacturing company Menrad have been made redundant, the Union Haddiema Maghqudin said.

This brings to 50 the number of workers laid off from the firm within a month. On May 8, it had dismissed 26.

Menrad is one of the largest factories in Malta and used to have a workforce of about 250.

The board of directors decided to dismiss the workers because of lack of orders, the union said.

The company's position was discussed during a meeting on Tuesday at the UHM headquarters aimed at finding new markets for the company. The situation at the factory was explained to the employees at a union meeting yesterday.

The union said it was taking the necessary steps to find alternative employment for the workers and contact has been made with the intervention unit of the Employment and Training Corporation.

Gratuities and notice payment have been secured for the workers, the union said.