Retired consultant surgeon Michael Shine is to stand trial accused of indecently assaulting 16 young males over three decades.

Workers at the Vita Cortex plant in Cork are planning a “major escalation” of their protest following the company’s refusal to take on board the guidance offered by mediation officials who attempted to find a solution to the four-month-long dispute.

The board and management of Vita Cortex have rejected mediation proposals aimed at resolving the four-month dispute at the company over redundancy payments.

Union officials representing the Vita Cortex workers have insisted manager Jack Ronan has a clear moral obligation to compensate his staff, regardless of whether he has a legal obligation to pay extra redundancy.

Up to 5,000 people attended a march organised in support of Vita Cortex workers over the weekend in one of the biggest public demonstrations Cork city has seen in recent years.

The former Vita Cortex workers have been told they will receive their statutory redundancy entitlements from the Department of Social Protection early next week — but their protest at the manufacturing plant in Cork will go on.

Vita Cortex workers have taken their protest to the home of one of the company’s owners in Douglas, Cork.

AS the sit-in by former Vita Cortex employees in Cork enters its 25th day today, details have been finalised of a mass rally in support of the protesters which is due to take place at 1pm in Dublin on Thursday.

Vita Cortex workers in Cork have said they are willing to sit down with company owners if they come to the table with serious intent.

A ONE-DAY strike by 2,500 SIPTU workers affected Dairygold businesses throughout the country yesterday.

SIPTU confirmed yesterday that a 24-hour strike by its members in all Dairygold Co-op depots is going ahead on Tuesday.

SIPTU has warned Dairygold there will be no agreement on compulsory redundancies at the co-op.