Disruption threatened by 260,000 workers
The country’s biggest union, SIPTU, last night confirmed that some 260,000 workers were set to back half a day of protest action on Friday, October 4.
The move comes amid growing trade union fury at employers’ failure to comply with Labour Court recommendations on redundancy payments.
The problem includes workers at the Irish Glass Bottle Company in Dublin and Peerless Rugs in Athy, Co Kildare.
The threatened disruption will add to the Government’s economic woes at a time when it will be seeking voters’ backing for a new Nice Treaty referendum.
Smaller unions, including the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union; the Building and Allied Trades Union and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians have already signalled their support. Trades Councils throughout the country are now being canvassed and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is also considering giving its full support.
Union leaders last night indicated that they have the potential to immobilise up to half-a-million workers in the fight for justice for those who have lost their jobs.
SIPTU vice-president Jack O’Connor said his union had been campaigning for improvements in statutory redundancy payments for months. He said he had hoped discussions involving the unions, the employer organisation, IBEC, and the Government could resolve the issue.
But Mr O’Connor said the review group failed to strike a deal, largely because employers opposed decent compensation increases and workers had no option but to take their campaign onto the streets.
But IBEC said a special group from the social partners had recently reported to Enterprise Minister Mary Harney and any outcome should await her response.
“The stoppage will not achieve anything, but only add further chaos to the country which is already in chaos,” an IBEC spokesperson said.
Ms Harney is attending a US-Ireland investment conference in Washington and could not be contacted last night.
But it is estimated that improved redundancy payments could cost the Government 85 million per year and employers some 45 million per year.
In the case of Peerless Rugs, workers were awarded three weeks’ pay per year of service over 12 months ago.
They have been occupying the Athy plant because the company has refused to honour this instruction.
Irish Glass Bottle workers were awarded five weeks’ pay per year of service in June, but the firm has equally refused to pay anything above the statutory minimum requirements.
TEEU leader Eamon Devoy said the minimum redundancy payments were 35 years’ old and highly profitable companies had been flouting Labour Court awards. Mr Devoy said it was time to increase the legal entitlements.
