Greencore’s package for Mallow workers under fire

CORK county councillors voted unanimously yesterday to call on the Government to force Greencore to pay its former 85 workers in Mallow the proper redundancy package recommended by the Labour Court.

The call was led by Cllr Sean Sherlock (Lab), who said that Greencore was trying to pay redundancy packages based not on today’s wages, but those paid out to workers in 2004.

“Greencore is refusing to acknowledge the Labour Court by wanting to base packages on ‘04 and not ‘06 wages. The company should do the honourable thing.

“Many workers have not yet received their P45s, nearly six weeks after closure of the company, and they cannot collect their proper entitlements. We’re asking the Government to intervene directly,” Cllr Sherlock said.

Cllr Tom Sheahan (FG) said it was “a disgrace” the way the former employees at the sugar plant had been treated.

“The workers had always shown great loyalty since the factory was established 70 years ago. It’s very shabby, to say the least, the way they are being treated,” Cllr Sheahan said.

“It’s very important that the Labour Court enforce their decision on Greencore. It’s penny-pinching as far as I’m concerned,” FF’s Cllr Dan Joe Fitzgerald said.

Cllr Martin Hallinan (SF) said it was one of the worst examples of “corporate greed” he’d ever seen in Ireland, while Cllr Marian Murphy (FG) pointed out that many of the unfortunate ex-employees had to pay for children at college, mortgages and credit union loans.

Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Alan Coleman said Greencore were adding insult to injury with their interpretation of the Labour Court ruling. He said the Government wasn’t to blame for the situation, but drew the wrath of FG’s Cllr Kevin Murphy who shouted: “You’re trying to defend the indefensible.”

His party colleague, Cllr Tomas Ryan, then accused Greencore of wiping a fantastic industry off the face of the earth and treating their former workers very badly.