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wiredInUSA - November 2013
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Bridgestone Corporation is to close its
steel cord facility in Kuroiso, Japan, within
the next 12 months and consolidate
production into its remaining Japanese
steel cord plant, Saga.
Bridgestone
says
it
previously
“implemented a number of initiatives” to
increasetheKuroisosite’scompetitiveness
and overall profitability, but is now
taking the step of closing the facility and
consolidating production in Saga.
At the start of 2013 the 42-year old Kuroiso
plant had a 47,000 ton per annum steel
cord capacity, 6,200 ton per annum hose
wire capacity and 29,000 ton per annum
bead wire capacity. Bridgestone has not
indicated how much of this capacity
will be transferred to the Saga facility’s
overall capacity, nor has it indicated if
any of the 355-member Kuroisoworkforce
will be offered employment at Saga.
As of January 2013 the Saga plant, which
commenced operations in 1982, was
capable of producing approximately
90,000 tons of steel cord and 700 tons
of cable bead wire a year. Bridgestone
anticipates a workforce of 539 in Saga
by the end of this year.
Steel cord plant
closure
Israel ElectricCorporation (IEC) employees
will receive 10 percent of a fiber optic
venture in which the utility is a partner. IEC
owns 40 percent of IBC, the venture that
will deploy a nationwide fiber-to-the-home
network. Sweden’s ViaEuropa AB and a
consortium of Israeli companies own the
remaining 60 percent.
Sources said that in talks between IEC’s
management and workers committee,
it was agreed that employees would
receive 15 percent of IEC’s stake in IBC
for free (amounting to six percent of IBC),
and that they can buy up to another 10
percent of IEC's stake (four percent of IBC)
at its economic value.
IEC needs the full participation of its
employees for the fiber optic venture to
succeed. The company plans to hire 150
employees for the venture who will work
under a special collective agreement, the
terms of which have not yet been settled.
IEC also plans to transfer scores of tenured
employees to IBC to carry out work in
addition to their regular jobs.
IEC workers get 10
percent