Meat processors come under increasing pressure to look after their workers

'We cannot have a situation where workers going into meat plants or other settings take paracetamol or Calpol to hide their temperature'

Siptu trade union wants full sick pay for three months, and half pay for the following three months, for meat workers and others.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the rights of workers in the meat industry need strengthening, and collective representation for those workers is important.

“That will form part of the Government’s continuing engagement with the industry,” he told the Dáil last week.