Dairygold clashes with SIPTU as 24hr strike looms

DAIRYGOLD, the food processing giant, and SIPTU, the country's largest union, were on collision course last night as a 24-hour strike loomed at the €1 billion turnover co-op over work practices and procedural agreements.

The co-op said it was surprised and disappointed at what it claimed was the entirely unwarranted, provocative and wholly irresponsible strike action scheduled by SIPTU to impact all areas of the co-op's business on Tuesday next.

But a spokesperson for SIPTU said it was disingenuous to level such an accusation at the union when the company itself had tried to introduce work practices which had not been finalised through negotiations.