Angry IFI workers consider sit-in protest
Workers and those already laid off will meet this afternoon to discuss taking militant action after the Government and shareholder partner ICI refused to increase a €24.4 million package for staff at IFI’s plants in Arklow and Marino Point, Cobh.
A spokesman for Tánaiste Mary Harney said last night the shareholders had made it clear to union representatives that the non-statutory redundancy package for 400 workers at the two plants wouldn’t be increased.
“There’s no more money to put into the redundancy fund. As it stands, workers will receive an average payout of €57,000 each,” the Tánaiste’s spokesman said.
“What shareholders did agree was if there was a surplus at the end of the liquidation process, there would be a further payment,” he added.
Last Monday, employees refused to sign a document entitling them to an interim payment of 5,000 amid fears that they could be forfeiting some rights.
It has now been agreed to re-word the document to alleviate any concerns workers might have had that their statutory rights could be waived.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has agreed to pay all redundancy entitlements before Christmas and will start processing claims next Monday.
However, worker director Tom Morrissey said: “It’s very little comfort to us to hear the package isn’t being increased. In the pharmaceutical industry, normal redundancy terms are four-to-five weeks per year of service. The best we can hope for is 2.2 weeks.”
Workers have already threatened to halt any attempt by liquidator Ray Jackson to ship out 26,000 tonnes of ammonia from the Marino Point plant. The ammonia is believed to be worth up to €4m.
The liquidator was present at yesterday’s meeting in the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment offices in Dublin, along with shareholders, workers’ representatives and SIPTU National Industrial Secretary Noel Dowling.
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