Galtee Meats’ future in doubt

THE future of Galtee Meats, which employs 160 people, in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, was uncertain last night.

SIPTU members at the plant, where slaughtering and boning were closed last year with the loss of 140 jobs, had earlier rejected by an overwhelming margin, a proposed pay package that included a €9 per hour standard pay rate and the elimination of all overtime.

Dairygold Co-op, which has shed over 1,200 jobs in a major rationalisation programme over the past 18 months, had warned it would proceed to sell Galtee Meats in the event that agreement was not reached with SIPTU members.