Support of local authority pledged to Cartamundi workers losing their jobs in Waterford

Waterford City and County Council has offered its support to workers who will lose their jobs in Cartamundi in the coming months. 

Mayor of Waterford, Cllr John O'Leary said:  "I am deeply saddened to hear the news that Cartamundi in Waterford will cease production due to the post Covid decline in demand for board games.

"My thoughts are with the company’s 234 employees and their families as they come to terms with this news," he said.

"The board game producer has been an integral part of Waterford’s manufacturing landscape since 1977, firstly as MB, then Hasbro and as Cartamundi since 2015. In that time, it has brought an unbridled sense of pride to the people of Waterford as it was the home of the world’s favourite board games such as Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble.

"Unfortunately, despite us being a year out of Covid, the ramifications of the pandemic are still being evidenced here today," Cllr O'Leary said.

 "Waterford City and County Council will be in contact with Cartimundi’s Management team to offer what support it can and will endeavour to work with various state agencies to mitigate the impact of job losses on the staff and to the local and regional economy," he said. 

It was announced yesterday, March 22, that the plant will close on a phased basis by the end of August.

The factory on Cork Road in Waterford has been manufacturing games since 1977 and previously dealt under the Hasbro and MB names.

The Waterford plant is the largest European games manufacturing plant in the Cartamundi group.