Irish Sugar - Annual Hours 

Irish Sugar implemented annualised hours in 2002 for its workforces at the 2 plants at Carlow and Mallow, with a scheme designed by Ken Beaumont and Philip Lynch.

 

The scheme designed had to cope with the exaggerated seasonality which this business experienced – with a 14-week “Campaign” of continuous working in the last quarter of the year. 

 

A large proportion of the workforce (many of them sugar farmers) were employed on 13-week contracts during the Campaign to provide the processing capability required, following the sugar beet harvest.

 

While the scheme delivered improved workforce productivity and helped the company to reduce costs, economic and market factors overtook the company (see below).

 

 

Footnote:

 

Irish Sugar Limited was established in 1926 in Carlow as a private enterprise known as the Irish Sugar Manufacturing Company, Limited.

The Sugar Manufacture Act, 1933 was passed to promote self-sufficiency in sugar manufacture, this act was brought on by a crisis in the industry and resulted in the nationalisation of sugar manufacture. After the passing of this act factories were built in Mallow, Thurles and Tuam.

 

The Thurles and Tuam factories were closed in the early 1980s after a rationalisation became necessary and production was concentrated at the Carlow and Mallow sites.

The company was privatised in 1991, becoming part of Greencore.

In 2005 Irish Sugar closed its Carlow factory and in May 2006 the last remaining Irish Sugar factory at Mallow closed.

 

Irish agriculture minister Mary Coughlan expressed regret at Greencore's announcement, saying it was "the end of an era".

The European Commission had foreseen that its reforms would have a severe impact on some member states, including Ireland, she said, but the speed of the Irish sugar industry's demise was unexpected.

 

 

The consultancy work referred to in this case study was carried out by Ken Beaumont and Philip Lynch in 2002-05. 

 

 

 

 

 

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