Ex-sugar workers may lose up to €50,000

PRESSURE is building on Greencore in a dispute over redundancy terms for the 324 workers who lost their jobs with the closure of Mallow Sugar Factory.

SIPTU and the TEEU, who have accused the company of refusing to fully implement a severance package, have formed a joint action committee.

Workers maintain that those with long service stand to lose between €30,000 and €50,000 each because of the company’s interpretation of a Labour Court recommendation.

Greencore maintains, however, that the redundancy payments are in line with the recommendation of the Labour Court in question, as well as being fair and generous.

A delegation from both unions met with Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan in Dublin last week as part of an intensifying campaign.

SIPTU branch secretary Liam Lucey said a delegation also travelled to Limerick yesterday to brief Minister of State Tony Killeen on the impasse.

He said the unions have also requested an urgent meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and are seeking the intervention of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheal Martin.

TEEU shop steward Kieran Buckley said the company is refusing to honour the findings of the Labour Court and disregarding a workforce that had been extremely loyal to it over the years.

He said the unions had asked Ms Coughlan at their meeting last week to bring about a resolution to the problem.

“She was obviously well briefed on the issue and appeared to be quite annoyed and perturbed that the company should defy the Labour Court recommendation,” he said.

Cork East Fianna Fáil TD Ned O’Keeffe said it was extraordinary that Greencore seems to be stalling on the implementation of the recommendation.

“We must see immediate evidence that it rows back on that position,” he said.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture Martin Ferris called on Greencore to fully honour the severance package agreed with the workers.