Sept. 24, 2002 – Dublin, Ireland – Intel Corp., Santa Clara, CA, has requested more than 3,000 staff at its Irish manufacturing plant to take two weeks holiday at Christmas in order to help it cut costs.

The company, which employs 3,200 people directly and 1,000 contractors at its semiconductor facility outside Dublin, said the move reflected market conditions, reported Reuters.

“Clearly the market is tough at the moment and this for us is an effective way of saving costs,” said Intel Ireland spokesman Frank Turpin.

Intel’s plant at Leixslip, County Kildare, is the company’s main chip production site for the European market.

While Intel stressed its Irish operations remained secure, the plant will effectively shut down between December 22 and January 5.

Turpin said the company was asking people to take leave owed from this year, pull in leave from next year, or take voluntary time off without pay.

“We call it a warm-down, which basically means the plant will be ticking over but not actually producing,” he said.

The factory is currently undergoing expansion, with a new automated production unit due on stream in 2004.