SIPTU attacks company over redundancy offer
Glen Dimplex, which had been engaged in conciliation talks in recent months with the union, has refused to abide by a Labour Court recommendation that the workers should receive a redundancy settlement of four weeks’ pay per year of service, in addition to the statutory entitlement of two weeks.
Instead, the company stuck to its original offer of two weeks’ pay, plus the statutory entitlement, and the workers have now reluctantly voted to accept this, according to Tralee SIPTU official Con Casey.
Mr Casey claimed that workers were warned that if they took any form of industrial action, this offer would be withdrawn.
“The company’s action is tantamount to blackmail. It is a gross and cynical misuse of industrial relations procedures and certainly not in keeping with the spirit of partnership,” he said.
“Whilst a company is not obliged to abide by a Labour Court recommendation, companies go with the recommendations in these circumstances, by and large.”
Mr Casey said the workers had been through many ups and downs with the company and had facilitated the company in every way down the years.
“The workers now feel betrayed by a profitable company that could easily have afford to pay the redundancy terms that had been recommended. It’s abominable that the company should renege on 33% of the severance package,” he stated.
He also said the company had not given the workers a reason for not pay the recommended terms.
The company has not been available for comment on the issue.
The factory manufactured vacuum cleaners and related products in Tralee.
