Bourns workers agree package

A SEVERANCE package has been agreed by workers at Bourns Electronics in Cork.

The company announced in March that 80 staff would lose their jobs when it closes its manufacturing and support centre in the city.

Severance terms of 5.5 weeks’ pay per year of service, inclusive of statutory, plus a further €150 per year of service, have been now been agreed. About 50 of the workers affected are members of SIPTU, the main union involved.

The last redundancy programme in 2002, when 160 workers were made redundant, was on terms of four weeks’ pay per year of service, plus the old statutory redundancy, plus €127 per year of service.

This was on a voluntary basis and because of that the terms on this occasion are higher, according to Industrial Relations News.

When the old statutory redundancy is added to the main pay-related element of the old package, it was worth 4.5 to five weeks pay per year of service, depending whether each individual was above or below the age of 41.

The same element of the new package is worth 5.5 weeks’ pay per year of service for all, which is between 0.5 and 1.0 weeks higher than the previous package.

The deal was agreed at the Labour Relations Commission and approved by the workers in a ballot.

Under the agreement, the company is to provide professional advice on pension and tax issues, and FÁS is to provide assistance in obtaining alternative employment.