Food manufacturer Foster Clarks Products will next week begin to interview workers dismissed by Toly, as their former employer's human resources office processes their job applications.
The cosmetics packaging maker laid off 84 workers a month ago following a drop in orders but the company is determined to be supportive as they move on.
Foster Clarks Products personnel manager Steve Vella told The Times Business that officials held a meeting at Toly's Bulebel plant to offer a recruitment scheme. The company is currently employing industrial and technical employees every week until next March. Mr Vella said a considerable number of the Toly employees who are currently working their notice periods could be taken on in the recruitment drive. The Toly workers' notice range from 30 days to 12 weeks.
Foster Clarks Products, which exports to 70 countries, plans to open a new factory in San Ġwann to complement the state-of-the-art plant there and to meet increasing volumes of production. Mr Vella said the meeting with Toly management was a gesture of corporate social responsibility.
At Toly, the political spin given to the job cuts issue has given human resources manager Teresa Fabri another headache - reassuring the 300-strong workforce unaffected by the dismissals.
"The politics has caused some damage," Ms Fabri said. "Toly is operating a normal five-day week and has no intention to work four days as has been reported. We are fully operational and intend to continue to work in Malta."
General Workers Union official Jason Deguara confirmed that meetings were held between both companies and the union at Toly's plant in a concerted effort to find alternative employment for the workers.
Mr Deguara, the GWU's Chemical and Energy Section secretary, explained: "It is thanks to both companies and the union that this opportunity has arisen. The Employment and Training Corporation had already moved in and held meetings to draw up profiles of these workers just before the union's eight section secretaries met to try to find a solution. As three-quarters of companies are unionised with us, the secretaries have a network to tap into but it is not easy to come across so many vacancies."
Mr Deguara has a background in industry and has experienced redundancy. "Losing your job is a hugely traumatic experience - and Christmas is just around the corner," he said. "The GWU was approached by some firms offering clerical work, but these employees are operators. About three weeks later, Josef Bugeja, the Food and Hospitality Section secretary, told me he had good news - another plant required operators."
Mr Deguara, who says Noel Vella, the Director of Industrial and Employment Relations, also lent his support, has heaped praise on Toly Products for its relations with staff.
"At Toly, these employees were not just a number," he said. "Management officials are on first-name terms with personnel and attend their social activities practically every week. Toly has gone out of its way to be cooperative: meeting officials from Foster Clarks Products, sorting out terminal benefits, eliminating overtime and changing shift patterns to bring the number of jobs at risk down from the original 100.
"We are talking about the livelihood of 84 families here - in some cases, both husband and wife lost their jobs. Many are young people with considerable financial commitments; others have worked for Toly for 10 years. The transition will not be easy for them, but at least there is a silver lining to all this."
Ms Fabri explains that some of the workers who have been laid off - including two managers - have left, but many have entrusted her with ironing out the recruitment process for them.
"We work to find alternative employment for our staff when we face redundancies. This exercise has affected staff across the board. It is a sad time for the Toly 'family' and it is hard to see them go. All official Christmas activities have been cancelled - we are not in the mood for celebrating."
This is Toly Products Malta plant's fourth restructuring exercise since it opened 40 years ago; in 2003 it terminated 60 workers' employment. Last month, Toly Products CEO Andy Gatesy said: "We have not lost any customers; there is just a lot of uncertainty in the market and this is affecting business levels."
The cosmetics packaging maker laid off 84 workers a month ago following a drop in orders but the company is determined to be supportive as they move on.
Foster Clarks Products personnel manager Steve Vella told The Times Business that officials held a meeting at Toly's Bulebel plant to offer a recruitment scheme. The company is currently employing industrial and technical employees every week until next March. Mr Vella said a considerable number of the Toly employees who are currently working their notice periods could be taken on in the recruitment drive. The Toly workers' notice range from 30 days to 12 weeks.
Foster Clarks Products, which exports to 70 countries, plans to open a new factory in San Ġwann to complement the state-of-the-art plant there and to meet increasing volumes of production. Mr Vella said the meeting with Toly management was a gesture of corporate social responsibility.
At Toly, the political spin given to the job cuts issue has given human resources manager Teresa Fabri another headache - reassuring the 300-strong workforce unaffected by the dismissals.
"The politics has caused some damage," Ms Fabri said. "Toly is operating a normal five-day week and has no intention to work four days as has been reported. We are fully operational and intend to continue to work in Malta."
General Workers Union official Jason Deguara confirmed that meetings were held between both companies and the union at Toly's plant in a concerted effort to find alternative employment for the workers.
Mr Deguara, the GWU's Chemical and Energy Section secretary, explained: "It is thanks to both companies and the union that this opportunity has arisen. The Employment and Training Corporation had already moved in and held meetings to draw up profiles of these workers just before the union's eight section secretaries met to try to find a solution. As three-quarters of companies are unionised with us, the secretaries have a network to tap into but it is not easy to come across so many vacancies."
Mr Deguara has a background in industry and has experienced redundancy. "Losing your job is a hugely traumatic experience - and Christmas is just around the corner," he said. "The GWU was approached by some firms offering clerical work, but these employees are operators. About three weeks later, Josef Bugeja, the Food and Hospitality Section secretary, told me he had good news - another plant required operators."
Mr Deguara, who says Noel Vella, the Director of Industrial and Employment Relations, also lent his support, has heaped praise on Toly Products for its relations with staff.
"At Toly, these employees were not just a number," he said. "Management officials are on first-name terms with personnel and attend their social activities practically every week. Toly has gone out of its way to be cooperative: meeting officials from Foster Clarks Products, sorting out terminal benefits, eliminating overtime and changing shift patterns to bring the number of jobs at risk down from the original 100.
"We are talking about the livelihood of 84 families here - in some cases, both husband and wife lost their jobs. Many are young people with considerable financial commitments; others have worked for Toly for 10 years. The transition will not be easy for them, but at least there is a silver lining to all this."
Ms Fabri explains that some of the workers who have been laid off - including two managers - have left, but many have entrusted her with ironing out the recruitment process for them.
"We work to find alternative employment for our staff when we face redundancies. This exercise has affected staff across the board. It is a sad time for the Toly 'family' and it is hard to see them go. All official Christmas activities have been cancelled - we are not in the mood for celebrating."
This is Toly Products Malta plant's fourth restructuring exercise since it opened 40 years ago; in 2003 it terminated 60 workers' employment. Last month, Toly Products CEO Andy Gatesy said: "We have not lost any customers; there is just a lot of uncertainty in the market and this is affecting business levels."