Raichle stops boot production in Switzerland

The Raichle boot company, a subsidiary of the Austrian concern Kneissl & Friends, is stopping the European production of ski and walking boots. The decision means the loss of 65 of the 95 jobs at the company's site in Switzerland.

The Raichle boot company, a subsidiary of the Austrian concern Kneissl & Friends, is stopping the European production of ski and walking boots. The decision means the loss of 65 of the 95 jobs at the company’s site at Kreuzlingen in the Swiss canton of Thurgau.

The remaining staff will be involved in development and distribution but will be moved from Kreuzlingen to Frauenfeld. The management blamed the move on the globalisation of the market and the downward pressure on prices.

The redundancies will come into affect at the end of November and those laid off will be paid two months wages. Union officials said a majority of those made redundant were foreign workers who would find it difficult to find new employment.

The closure of the Kreuzlingen operation is the conclusion of a long and slow decline for Raichle boots over the past five years. In 1995, the company employed more than 200 people, but market realities have finally caught up with it.

By Michael Hollingdale